AAA Colorado ~ EnCompass Magazine

November | December 2006
Volume 80 Issue 6

Feature Article Hanging with pirates in the Caribbean
By Clark Norton

Sure, the Caribbean pirates of yore were a cutthroat crew: They plundered, pillaged, and sent many a scurvy dog to Davy Jones' Locker — then squandered their booty on rum and loose women. But nearly two centuries after their last victims walked the proverbial plank, those swashbuckling scoundrels still command rock-star power. Maybe it's the devil-may-care attitudes flaunted by fictional pirates like Treasure Island's Long John Silver, Peter Pan's Captain Hook and Pirates of the Caribbean's Jack Sparrow — hoisting their Jolly Rogers on the mainmast, unfurling their cryptic treasure maps, sporting their earrings and puffy shirts in an otherwise overstarched age. Maybe it's the colorful monikers of real-life pirate captains — Blackbeard, Calico Jack Rackham, Black Sam Bellamy — whose crimes reflected little of the Hollywood image.

Whatever the reason, if you're hooked on the pirates of the Caribbean, we're here to help you hang with them. Not literally, of course, unless you get a bit carried away with the rum and cutlasses. No, we're going to guide you through what were once some of the most pirate-plagued islands on the old Spanish Main. So ahoy, mateys! Pack up some pieces of eight and repeat with us: "Arrgh, me hearties — 'tis a pirate's life for me…"

Jamaica

Long before it was the land of reggae, Jamaica was pirate central, and Port Royal was its capital. Edward Teach (Blackbeard), Calico Jack and Henry Morgan all liked to prowl the brothels and taverns here when they weren't out scourging the high seas. Dubbed "the wickedest city in the world" before being swallowed up by an earthquake in 1692 — much of the old town lies beneath the water now — Port Royal today is a small, pleasant fishing village a few miles from Kingston on Jamaica's southeastern shores. But enough remains that you can still relive the days of its vile past, when some of the most infamous characters of the age stalked its streets.

When the English captured Jamaica from Spain in 1655, the new colony's governor invited the Caribbean pirates of the day to pillage on behalf of the Crown. This legalized piracy was called privateering. Among the many who made Port Royal their base was the ruthless Henry Morgan, who proceeded to sack Spanish ships and settlements from Venezuela to Panama. It paid off. His rewards included a knighthood and the title of Jamaica's lieutenant governor.

In Port Royal's historic St. Peter's Church, you can view the communion silver that Sir Henry bequeathed to the parish — after stealing it from the Spanish. At nearby Fort Charles, built in 1655 and perhaps Jamaica's oldest building, the Port Royal Museum displays artifacts from Morgan's era that were lost in the 1692 earthquake and since recovered from Kingston Harbor. Refresh yourself with a meal at the Buccaneer's Roost restaurant, then bunk for the night at Morgan's Harbour Hotel.

Another Port Royal pirate, Calico Jack Rackham, was renowned as a ladies' man and had two famous female pirates among his crew. After capturing one rich prize, Rackham and his men got drunk, leaving them in no condition to fend off attack by a British warship in Negril Bay on Jamaica's west coast. Only the two women pirates, Mary Read and Anne Bonny, were sober enough to fight back. Rackham met the noose at Gallows Point off Port Royal in 1720, but not before Anne Bonny taunted him, "If you'd fought like a man you wouldn't now be hung like a dog!" On what's now called Rackham's Cay, an islet near Port Royal, the pirate's body was displayed in a cage as a lesson to other would-be brigands. After checking out the Port Royal sights, head for Negril Bay — now a laid-back resort area with a seven-mile beach, a good place to maroon yourself on a cold winter's day.

Puerto Rico

For hundreds of years, Puerto Rico was a stronghold of Spain's colonial empire in the Americas, protecting treasure-laden galleons from the onslaughts of pirates and privateers. It's now one of the Caribbean's top cruise ship destinations. Before casting off, take the time to tour a pirate lair or two.

The beautifully restored colonial-era town of San Juan is just a short walk from the cruise ship docks, with hordes of passengers descending on it every week. Back in 1595, San Juan was subject to another kind of assault, when English privateers Sir Francis Drake and John Hawkins tried to capture a fortune in gold and silver there. But even Drake's fleet of 23 ships couldn't take massive Fort San Felipe del Morro (El Morro for short), built atop a promontory overlooking the harbor. With its cannons, tunnels and towering walls, El Morro is now a World Heritage Site.

Legendary local pirate Roberto Cofresí was executed here in 1825. Before embarking on his pirate career, Cofresí grew up in the southwestern Puerto Rican port of Cabo Rojo, now sometimes dubbed El Pueblo de Cofresí. Celebrated for splitting his loot with the poor, Cofresí may or may not have been the high-seas Robin Hood his admirers contend. But Cabo Rojo's attractions are not in doubt: scenic beaches and cliffs, friendly little hotels, and atmospheric seaside restaurants. Try Cofresí's favorite fish: barracuda for two.

Cofresí is rumored to have buried some booty in the cliff-side caverns around Rincón, a beach town on the northwestern shores of the island. English and French pirates also gathered here. To nurture your own inner pirate, and perhaps seek some buried treasure yourself, drop anchor at the Villa Cofresí Hotel and Restaurant on Rincón Beach, where you can try a "Pirate Special" cocktail, served in a coconut. If that doesn't shiver yer timbers, you can also swim, surf, kayak, snorkel, fish and watch for whales.

British
Virgin Islands

The British Virgins are known for their calm, clear waters, with tropical breezes ideal for sailing. But those same waters were once infested with pirates, including some of the most notorious. Here, Blackbeard, Drake and others preyed on passing ships laden with riches bound for Spain.

Legend has it that Robert Louis Stevenson modeled fictional Treasure Island after Norman Island, where local fishermen reputedly found treasure buried in its sea caves. Today the caves off Treasure Point are favored by divers and snorkelers, no doubt hoping for a glimpse of a piece of eight themselves. You can get here by chartering a boat or joining one of many day sails out of Road Town, the BVI's capital. Although the island is uninhabited, the Pirates Bight Bar and Restaurant serves grog and other refreshment.

Black Sam Bellamy, a dashing pirate who died young in a 1717 shipwreck — after first stealing the ship, of course — made a tiny islet in Trellis Bay his hideout. It's now called Bellamy Cay. From there, Black Sam plundered dozens of vessels sailing the Sir Francis Drake Channel.

After a day of diving, snorkeling, or windsurfing on Trellis Bay, you can have dinner at The Last Resort on Bellamy Cay, where the owner entertains with song and comedy. It's all just a cat-o'-nine-tails' toss from BVI's international airport on Beef Island.

While everyone likes to tell you that the four-mile-long island of Jost Van Dyke — once a popular pirate haven — was named for a long-ago Dutch pirate, no one seems to know much about him (or her). But with pirate lore, the story's the thing — hang the facts. And pirate tales flow like rum on Jost Van Dyke, home to several renowned watering holes, easily accessible by ferry. At Foxy's Tamarind Bar, local character Foxy Callwood spins out calypso tunes and throws wild New Year's Eve bashes, while the Soggy Dollar Bar is the home of the Painkiller cocktail. After soaking up some local color, you can soak up some sun on the island's pristine white-sand beaches.

On Peter Island, with place names like Deadman's Bay, you know there's a pirate connection. Bodies frequently washed ashore here from sea battles in the surrounding waters. The legend goes that Blackbeard — so fearsome he liked to set his hair aflame before battle — once marooned a boatload of men on the nearby small island called Dead Man's Chest. Fifteen survived, while the rest perished. The story is said to have inspired the chantey "Fifteen men on the dead man's chest" — though maybe it was the other way around. Today, Dead Man's Chest is a nature reserve, while Deadman's Bay is a famously gorgeous beach on the grounds of the deluxe Peter Island Resort. Arrgh — 'tis a fitting spot indeed to spend the last of yer doubloons.

Clark Norton is a freelance writer from upstate New York who spends WAY too much time hanging out with unsavory sorts in the Caribbean.

AAA Connection

AAA Travel has various travel packages available to Jamaica, Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands. These destinations should also be considered for pre- and post-cruise adventures. Contact your AAA Travel professional, call 866-235-7070, or visit www.aaa.com.