See full version: 5 islands featured in the Pirates of the Caribbean to visit on a luxury yacht
As the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean film wraps up its filming, there is no better time for one to remind themselves of the beautiful island scenery that Captain Jack Sparrow has ventured to. Whether it is on a private superyacht or on a luxury yacht charter in the Caribbean these are the top five places to visit.
Grand Bahama is where ocean-bound scenes in the film where filmed In Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead mans chest. The northernmost island of the Bahamas, Grand Bahama is famous for its vibrant atmosphere. Johnny Depp enjoyed the area so much that he bought his own island nearby after the film was released.
How to visit on a superyacht: Port Lucaya Marina is located on the northern tip of the island only 70 miles from Florida and is a popular starting point for luxury yacht charters in the North Bahamas. There are two berthing wings which, offer people a choice between a vibrant market town setting or a more peaceful atmosphere among tropical gardens.
Whether you choose to describe them as corsairs, freebooters, privateers or sea rovers, pirates and The Caribbean and have been inextricably linked since well before Hollywood made the connection. According to the Royal Museums Greenwich website, as far back as the 17th century, "buccaneers lived on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola and its tiny turtle-shaped neighbour, Tortuga. At first, they lived as hunters, and shot wild pigs with their long-barrelled muskets. Their name came from the special wooden huts called boucans where they smoked their meat."
After a life of skulduggery on the seas, in 1563 Jambe de Bois died as he lived, but his name lives on in Saint Lucia's history books, as well as a well-known restaurant at the foot of Fort Rodney in Pigeon Island National Landmark, which is managed by the Saint Lucia National Trust.
Saint Lucia has it's own pirate past which also goes further back than its starring role on 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.' The natural arch at Marigot Bay was the site in which Johnny Depp sees the hanging skeletons of captured pirates in the first film of the franchise, and a local day charter became a co-star as the 'Henrietta.
Listed below are locations used for filming of the following Pirates of the Caribbean films:
In addition to filming locations, a list of film studios is also included for reference.
In the early 1700s, the famous pirate, Blackbeard was making his way up the Caribbean, plundering ships as he went. The waters off St. Lucia were particularly lucrative for the master pirate, and it is believed he used to stash his stolen booty in the Black Bay section of Vieux Fort. We have spent entire afternoons walking this town in search of some of Blackbeard’s treasure. We have never found any, but we have a great time trying to figure out where he would have been stashed the loot. A half day trip to Vieux Fort is certainly worth the time—especially if you can find a piece of Blackbeard’s hidden gold. [links]
Yarrr! Land Ho! Shiver me timbers! No, it is not “Talk Like a Pirate Day,” it’s a trip to St. Lucia in the Windward Islands in the Caribbean. Even though the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films were actually shot in Bequia and Dominica, St. Lucia has its own history with pirates—the real ones.
To get a good understanding of the island’s rich history, visit Pigeon Island, a small outcrop on the northern end of the island connected by a causeway, and The Pigeon Island Museum and Interpretive Centre. I recommend spending the better part of the day here. While the museum can be a bit dry after a while, my kids love becoming pirates for the day searching for unsuspecting Spanish Galleons cruising off the coast and imagining all the booty that may be on board. A picnic lunch (most hotels will pack one for you) is a perfect break before reclaiming your position in the remains of Fort Rodney or commanding troops in the restored British officers mess hall. here
The idyllic island became “modernized” in the 1500s when the first European landed on its shores. St. Lucia remained a strategic stronghold for the British and French (the island changed hands 19 times before gaining independence in 1979), who used it as a base from which to protect their interests from both pirates and Spaniard. here
While not a fort, La Toc Battery was built by the British in 1888. The hilltop gun emplacement was designed to protect the Castries harbor. Since Castries was the Caribbean’s largest port, it could hold the entire British Navy as they loaded up on fuel (coal) and provisions. The views are spectacular, and my kids, always up for some good role playing, have been known to pretend at protecting the modern harbor from the wealthy and their yachts. (Okay, maybe I join in too). While there is a museum with maps and gun shells in some of the underground rooms, the highlight is the 18-ton rifled muzzle-loader cannon. Visits are by appointment only and can be arranged by your hotel.
St. Lucia may stir your beach fantasies, but the former pirate haunt offers history lessons as well.