‘Wicked and sinful town’ famed for pirates, brothels and pubs wants tourists

A coastal town dubbed "sinful" and "wicked" in the past has a fascinating history of piracy, treasure and booze – but it’s now been given an official designation. Port Royal, in Jamaica, is now a United Nations World Heritage Site, reports the Express.

The port town, on the southern coast of the Caribbean nation, near Kingston, was the home of dozens of pirates at one time in the 17th century. Despite being British occupied at the time, the swashbuckling criminals used the port as a base to get wildly drunk, rob pubs, smuggle booty and generally enjoy themselves on land.

Prior to the pirates, Port Royal was a fishing town, and then it was a centre of trade for sugar, materials and sadly, slaves. As such huge wealth passed through the streets – which is likely what brought the buccaneers close by in the first place.

READ MORE: Tourists relax on beach just yards away from huge abandoned shipwreck

For decades, it acted as a criminal centre and was governed by Sir Henry Morgan – yes the Captain Morgan rum inspiration – with hundreds of brothels thriving and taverns a-plenty.

Famous pirates passed through the town including Calico Jack – who was hung there – Mary Carleton and Blackbeard Teach. The town provided a safe harbour for pirates to plunder ships moving through the Spanish and Panama shipping lanes and it was dubbed the "wickedest city in the West".

However, unfortunately for the lawless Captains and their men the port was struck by three earthquakes on June 7 1692. That lead to a tsunami and soil liquefaction.

As many of the buildings and homes had been constructed over the water the town was sunk and completely destroyed. Afterwards, pretty much every building in Port Royal was unlivable and thousands died.

More disasters have hit the town in the centuries since from earthquakes and tidal waves to fires, disease and even Hurricane Charlie. But, new life is on the way to the town.

Now, thankfully, there are no more pirates and Port Royal – which sits under the sea – has been noticed as a culturally significant place. Over three years extensive refurbishment has been undertaken to revive the area.

Now, it is an archaeological gold mine with pieces of history gathered up that show life from the early days of Port Royal’s English occupation. Sonar surveys have been taken of the underwater city and sunken pirate ships found.

Jamaica’s prime minister Andrew Holness announced plans to "breathe new life into the community of Port Royal" and "create an immaculate experience for tourists". You’ll be able to investigate the town’s fascinating history surrounded by the Caribbean’s typical beauty.

There are now new restaurants and museums documenting Port Royal by the Naval Dockyard and a hall to receive cruise ships in the port. Thousands of the artefacts found in the sunken city are on display.

Fascinating remnants of the town like the Giddy House and Fort Charles are still on show in a topsy-turvy arrangement due to the many earthquakes and disasters moving them from their original places and there are tour guides to help you with all of your questions.

Visit Jamaica states: "Port Royal is a community of proud people, fiercely defensive of their privacy, yet warm and welcoming to those interested in visiting. The community is especially close-knit because of its – everywhere in town is within walking distance, and there are several generations of people all living together.

"Perhaps the town's best attribute is its comfortable, laid-back temperament – on any given day there are children playing in the streets, young adults gathered in groups hanging out, and older folk sitting on verandas watching the world go by.

"One of the oldest and most historic regions of the country, Port Royal has maintained much of its independence as well as its heritage. Once the enclave of pirates and other outlaws, there is still a strong seafaring tradition."

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