Jamaica: Port Royal & Fort Charles
Port Royal was in 1494 by the Christopher Columbus and was once the largest city in the entire Caribbean. Under the Spanish, it was just a little undeveloped village on an island off the coast of main Jamaica, but when the British invaded and captured ITC Port Royal rapidly grew. The British build extensive fortification and encouraged privateers (pirates) to make Port Royal their home and attack Spanish vessels from here. The city became a notorious pirate haven, lawless and everything-goes type of place – it was even named “Sodom of the Caribbean” as only pirates and prostitutes lived here. This became the unofficial capital of Jamaica until 1692, when a massive earthquake and the following tsunami obliterated the city, which in turn led to the foundation of Kingston. Since then three hurricanes finished Port Royal off and another earthquake put a final cherry on top in 1907. Not much is left today, except a ruined fort and a historic church.
