Port Royal & The Historic Triangle
The Historic Triangle of southeast Jamaica is the passport to four centuries of our island's fascinating history. Encompassing the archaeological relics of Spanish Town, the sunken city of Port Royal at the end of the Palisadoes Peninsula, and the vibrant capital city Kingston, "The Historic Triangle" echoes the glories of Jamaica's past and heralds limitless possibilities for the new millenium. Rich in colonial architecture, museums and historical sights "The Historic Triangle" recaptures the romance, glamour and splendor of our exotic past.
Sizzling with the spirit of its swashbuckling past is colorful and archaeologically significant Port Royal at the tip of the finger-like peninsula stretching to the entrance of Kingston harbour. The harbour was once home to pirate ships and buccaneers preying on West Indies trading routes. The emporium of all that ill-gotten wealth, Port Royal was known as the "wickedest city in the world," and richest spot in the universe.
Jamaica's very own "Pompeii of the Caribbean," Port Royal boasted a wild era of wine, wenching and song! These were the days when the buccaneers roamed the Americas robbing and plundering Spanish ships on the way back to Spain with their golden treasures from the west.
Never again to return to its former glory, Port Royal's hopes sunk when a June 7, 1692 earthquake changed the course of Jamaican history. Several thousand residents died and 35 acres of the city slid into the sea. Folklore has it that the church bell tolling from the bottom of the sea can still be heard by fishermen today.
Pirates may soon return to the sunken city. At Chocolata Hole Bay, plans are underway to restore a 17th-century docking area, naval forts , garrison buildings and dockyards. Visitors will be able to shop, dine, visit museums and mingle with actors dressed as pirates. The Port Royal Heritage Tourism Development project seeks to showcase Port Royal's cultural richness by transforming the modern-day fishing village into a cruise ship port and major heritage tourism site by mid-2000.
Port Royal's points of interest today include the Giddy House, an old artillery store which tilts on a 45-degree angle resulting from the 1907 earthquake. Nearby are 16th-century Fort Charles, adjacent Maritime Museum, and the Port Royal Archeological and Historical Museum, which contains salvaged artifacts. Norman Manley International Airport is on the cactus-studded sliver of land, the Palisadoes, that gives Kingston its unique harborage.
Arrange a trip to sun-drenched Lime Cay, offshore of Port Royal, where clear waters, bleached sand, swimming and snorkeling await visitors. Pristine mangroves support a host of marine life, fish, birds and even saltwater crocodiles.
At Least a half a dozen dive sites can be explored offshore of Port Royal (recreational diving of the sunken city is off limits). Colorful reefs are within reach. A popular site for advanced divers is Texas Wreck, an American Naval Ship that was sunk in 1944. It is situated southeast of Morgan's Harbour in the main shipping channel. Divers will see an abundance of black coral and the wreck's gun placements. Offshore trips to cays, mangroves, and beneath the waves can be arranged from Morgan's Harbour Hotel through the Buccaneer Scuba Club.
