A series of small cays joined together to form a breakwater between Kingston’s harbor and the open ocean, the thin strip of road running along the Palisadoes takes visitors to Port Royal. This atmospheric fishing village, with a colorful past of piracy and naval might, was scarred by a catastrophic natural disaster. A thriving town under the British, it suffered a massive earthquake in 1692 that destroyed most of the place and killed thousands of people, effectively putting an end to its importance as a trading post.

Port Royal still holds several of the original British-built fortifications, the largest of which is Fort Charles , the first of five bastions built here from bricks that had served as ballast on British ships. The Maritime Museum in the courtyard has a small but fascinating collection of artifacts dredged up from the ruins of the original town. Back toward the main square, visit the graveyard of St. Peter’s Church; one of the tombs is of Lewis Galdy, who was swallowed by the earth during the earthquake, and miraculously regurgitated seconds later. Another activity here is to take a boat to Lime Cay, a tiny island with white sands and clear waters.