Pirates of the Caribbean did exist, and not only in a movie. Updated July 2022
Real-life Pirates of the Caribbean
Everyone is familiar with the movie called “Pirates of the Caribbean”, but did you know that there were real-life pirates in the Caribbean?
The Age of Pirates
The golden age for pirates of the Caribbean was about 1660 to 1730, although pirates existed before this time and as late as 1830. A few pirates still exist in some parts of the world today, notably off the coast of Somalia.
Forts
Pirates not only attacked ships but also sacked coastal towns. Some towns, after being attacked, decided to do something about it. One way to counter the pirates was to build a fort. Cannon could be fired at the pirate ships while the defenders remained relatively safe behind the fort’s walls. There are several of these forts throughout the Caribbean.
Bacalar, Mexico
Pirates roamed throughout the Caribbean and attacked both ships and coastal towns. They even went up rivers to attack inland towns. One such place was Bacalar, in southern Mexico. Pirates sacked the town in the 17th century. As a result, the town built a fort to defend itself against further attacks. Fuerte de San Felipe was completed in 1729.
The little town of Bacalar is well worth a visit. It is located on the shore of the beautiful Lagoon of Seven Colours. There are some excellent restaurants, you can tour the fort, go boating on the lagoon, and if you are a birder, tropical birds are abundant in the area. An excellent place for a Mexican vacation away from the crowds on the coast.
Havana, Cuba
Havana was attacked by pirates several times in the 1500s. The fortress of Morro (Castillo de los Tres Reyes Magos del Morro) was completed by 1589. Also, ships from Cuba to Spain started travelling in convoys which was safer than single ships.
Several forts were built around the harbour and Havana become one of the best-defended towns in the world. The pirates never made another successful raid after the completion of the forts.
Click here for more photos and information about the Forts of Havana, Cuba.
Other Forts
The forts at Bacalar and Havana are the two that I have visited, but there are several others throughout the Caribbean. Notably at St Kitts & Nevis, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Grenada and Puerto Rico.
Famous Pirates
There were hundreds of pirates over the centuries. One of the most famous was Blackbeard who terrorized the coast of North America until pirate hunters killed him in 1718.
Black Bart looted hundreds of ships from 1719 to 1722.
Captain Kidd started as a pirate hunter; instead, he became a pirate himself. As a result, he was hanged in England.
Henry Morgan was an English pirate that attacked only Spanish ships and ports from 1668 to 1671.
Calico Jack had a pirate ship with two female pirates on board (Anne Bonny and Mary Read). He was captured and hung in 1720.
Tour a Fort
Go to one or more of the forts in the Caribbean, and you will get a new perspective on Pirates of the Caribbean from the townsfolk’s point of view. The extensive forts at Havana are the best.