For two centuries Port Royal was the principal Royal Navy base in the Caribbean. The dockyard handled the careening of ships, victualling, and major repair work for the West Indies squadron. Admirals Vernon, Rodney, and Nelson all spent time here, and the place was effectively a small naval town in its own right.
The Royal Navy withdrew the base in 1905 after persistent earthquakes and changes in naval strategy. Today the surviving buildings — including the old naval hospital and the polygon magazine — are in mixed condition but worth a wander for anyone interested in the British naval history of the Caribbean.