Caribbean Vacations, Jamaica, Port Royal

Today is the day you are going to make it happen. You have worked hard all year, and now your dream of a Caribbean Getaway is in your not to distant future. You have always imagined the crystal clear blue water, the Creole food, the pristine sand, as well as the saucy legends of Rum Runners. It all seems so distant from you, foreign to your everyday life. So, now that your dream is about to become a reality, you are lost, and uncertain of what the Caribbean has to offer. Today you will learn.

Jamaica may or may not be the first island that comes to mind when planning your Caribbean vacation, but as the third largest island in the Caribbean it offers a wealth of natural displays such as waterfalls and mountainscapes, as well as a plethora of historical sites that date back to the seventeenth century. (national geographic traveler)

Your first stop on your destination Caribbean tour is historical Port Royal. Port Royal, which can be found on a small island in Kingston harbor, is a favorite of many historians, and has gained much fame in recent years due to the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. The main characters Elizabeth Swan, and William Turner live at Port Royal, and the town is shown, in the movie, as a vivacious town. The real Port Royal has an even more interesting past.

The five forts at Port Royal where built by the English in 1655 when they added Jamaica to their Empire. It was a large port that was used heavily by traders, and eventually boomed into a settlement of over six-thousand people. It wasn't long until Port Royal, because of its wealth, became a den of pirates and thieves. It was a true hot bed of sex, alcohol, and gambling. The Port's insatiable appetite for sin is one of the things that adds to the mystique of Port Royal. In fact, the Port's reputation was so bad in the 1600s the Catholic church deemed it to be "the wickedest city in Christendom." (national geographic traveler)

Unfortunately, there is not much left of the original settlement, because on June 7, 1692 an earthquake of devastating proportions struck the Port. "Most of the city was sent to the watery depths, killing 2,000 people and sinking all the ships in the harbor." (national geographic traveler) What was left of Port Royal was even more damaged by a fire that occurred in 1702.

While there are still buildings that have survived the forces of nature, most of the town is now a small fishing village. Of course, on this historical tour the remaining buildings Fort Charles is a must see. According to the National Geographic Traveler, Fort Charles is land locked due to the seventeenth century earthquake it suffered, it still has many features of the original forts, including: "embrasures that still feature cannons pointing out to sea." (national geographic traveler)

Fort Charles is also the home of the Maritime Museum. It is devoted to the retelling of the history of Port Royal. It houses many artifacts that have been reclaimed from the depths of the sea-buried city. There are still many wooden structures, and out buildings that still remain at the Fort.

Another place that must be visited on this historical tour is the graveyard at Saint Peter's church. It is the home of a very interesting tombstone that tells a tale of amazement and wonder. The tomb belongs to a Frenchman by the name of Lewis Gaddy. According to the engraving on the tombstone, Lewis Gaddy suffered greatly during the great earthquake of 1692. He is reported to have fallen victim to some sort of sink hole and was at first lost to the ground, but by some sort of "miracle" the ground spat him back out and cast him into the water. He was then picked up by a boat passing by. The tombstone engraving continues to say that Lewis Gaddy lived many years after the quake, and was beloved by many at the time of his death. (national geographic traveler)

Visiting Port Royal is a must for any Caribbean vacation, and if you desire a vacation spot full of historical intrigue, it is definitely the place for you.

References:

Nick Hanna and Emma Stanford, The National Geographic Traveler, The Caribbean, second edition, 2009.