Port Royal
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Port Royal

Port Royal

Kingston Harbour village built on pirate history, sunken earthquake ruins, and Fort Charles.

Port Royal sits at the tip of the Palisadoes spit that encloses Kingston Harbour. In the 17th century it was one of the largest cities in the Americas — a notorious pirate haven and trading post where Henry Morgan and other buccaneers brought their plunder. In 1692 a massive earthquake dropped much of the city into the harbour, killing thousands instantly. The sunken city and its cargo are still down there.

What remains is a small, historically rich village with Fort Charles — Jamaica's oldest standing fort, built in 1655 — and the Giddy House, a former artillery store that tilted 45 degrees in the 1907 earthquake and stayed that way. The underwater ruins are protected as one of the great archaeological sites of the Caribbean. The 18th-century St Peter's Church and remains of the Royal Navy Dockyard complete the historic core, and a short boat ride takes you to Lime Cay, a small sand cay popular for swimming.

Getting here: a ferry runs regularly from the Ocean Boulevard terminal in Kingston. The ride takes about 20 minutes and is cheap. It's an easy half-day trip from Kingston.

Guide

Eating Out

Port Royal is famous in Jamaica for fried fish and bammy. Several small eateries along the waterfront serve red snapper, parrotfish, and lobster fresh from the boats, with festival (a sweet fried cornmeal dumpling) or bammy (cassava flatbread) on the side. Most are unpretentious, family-run operations open from late morning until evening.

Guide

Getting There

Port Royal is reached by road or ferry from Kingston. The drive along the Palisadoes — the long, narrow spit that connects the town to Kingston and the airport — takes about thirty minutes. A passenger ferry runs from the Ocean Boulevard terminal in downtown Kingston; the crossing is twenty minutes and a fraction of the cost of a taxi.

Many visitors stop in Port Royal en route to or from Norman Manley International Airport, which sits roughly midway along the Palisadoes. A brief detour adds little time to the airport run.

Guide

Things to Do

What survives of Port Royal can be walked in a single afternoon. The fortifications, the curious Giddy House, the dockyard remains, and the underwater archaeological site are the main draws. Most visitors come on a half-day trip from Kingston.