The Sunken City

The Sunken City of Port Royal in Jamaica has quite a rich history. It was once considered the wickedest city in the world and was at one point run by pirates. Part of the colorful history of Port Royal involves an earthquake that caused two-thirds of the city to sink into the sea in 1692. Today, the site off the coast of Kingston can be explored with a dive session; you’ll need special permission to dive in this zone though. If you sign up with a licensed diving company, you don’t have to worry about anything but simply arriving and getting ready for an outstanding diving experience. There are several shallow shipwrecks beneath the waters here, and plenty of reefs with lots to see.

Over 40 feet of water covers the remains of the original city today, but it hasn’t stopped travelers, academics, and researchers from finding a way to interact with this incredible pirate story from the past. Diving is allowed at the site with special access granted on the part of the Jamaican government. The majority of items that have been recovered from the Sunken City to date are on display at The Museum of History and Ethnography.