Things to do nearPort Royal

Port Royal's history stretches back to the mid-seventeenth century, when English forces seized Jamaica from Spain and established a fortified trading post at the harbour entrance. The settlement grew rapidly into one of the busiest ports in the Atlantic world, attracting merchants, privateers, and sailors from across Europe and the Americas.

On June 7, 1692, a powerful earthquake and the tsunami that followed submerged a large portion of the town beneath Kingston Harbour. The disaster reshaped the peninsula and preserved an extraordinary archaeological record underwater, drawing researchers and divers who continue to study the site today.

Above the waterline, Fort Charles stands as the most substantial surviving structure, its thick brick walls and cannon emplacements offering a tangible connection to the colonial era. The small Giddy House, a former artillery store tilted dramatically by the 1907 earthquake, adds another layer of geological storytelling to the site.

The waterfront retains an unhurried, local atmosphere quite unlike the resort areas elsewhere in Jamaica. For anyone drawn to layered history, maritime heritage, and the quieter edges of Caribbean travel, Port Royal remains a genuinely compelling destination.