November 20, 2015
Once the wickedest and richest city on earth, Port Royal is now a quiet, little fishing village near Kingston’s airport. You can tour the tiny streets, enjoy great seafood, and immerse yourself into a rich natural, historical and cultural environment. Here are 5 little known facts about this corner of Kingston!
- Port Royal was the fastest growing English city in the New World. It amassed wealth and fame in 37 years but sank in less than two minutes. It is the only sunken city in the Western Hemisphere!
- Many believe the earthquakes that hit Port Royal in 1692 and 1907 were punishments from God. But few realize the hurricanes in 1712, 1722, 1726 and 1744 were followed by plagues and epidemics! Should we get started about the fires?
- Rum Punch Kill-Devil was the drink of choice in Port Royal. Some believed it was responsible for the wickedness of the city! Kill-Devil could knock a man unconscious for hours and some reports say it killed those who drank too much. The Spanish wondered why the people there looked sick. When they found out how potent Kill-Devil was, they wondered why they weren’t all dead!
- While Port Royal was featured in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean, it was actually shot on the island of St. Vincent! The lack of developed infrastructure is not attractive to filming in this location.
- Port Royal is a wealthy eco-system! It has been a protected mangrove wetland area since 1998, a Jamaica Heritage Site since 1999 and a Wetland of International Importance (Ramsar Site) since 2004!
Hope you can share what your Port Royal experience was like!