Pirates of the Caribbean

Besides it's sun-kissed beaches and the pretty coral reefs, the Caribbean is also known for its fierce inhabitants during the 17th century. While the Europeans were busy taking control of the New World and plundering its wealth, these lovely islands were home to pirates, privateers and buccaneers.

Much of the piracy was directed against the Spanish galleons that transported treasures from the South American territories to Spain through the Caribbean Sea. From the time Columbus discovered the Americas in the 15th century, Spain steadily increased their presence here with Cartagena, in modern Columbia, becoming their key settlement. From here the Spaniards mined silver (and gold) that were transported back periodically. As you can expect, the pirates wanted to intercept as much of these shipments as they could.


While I remembered some of this from history lessons, what I only now learnt was how England actively supported and nurtured the pirates because they were at war with Spain.

Blackbeard, reputed to be the fiercest of them all, actually operated from Paradise Island! With his evil looks and reputation of being the most cruel, stories of his exploits quickly filled the seafaring world. From what I found, he was the master of spin and created an image more terrifying than he really was.

Lazing around in and around the Atlantis resort, it is difficult to imagine everything that happened in these islands many years ago




Francis Drake, whose exploits were legendary, making him a hero to the English was but a simple pirate to the Spaniards. He ruled the waters of the Caribbean for a while terrorizing the Spaniards and capturing their treasure, sinking their ships and even burning down one of their key ports.

The other famous pirate Calico Jack is most remembered for his black flag featuring the skull and crossed cutlasses, which helped to popularize the design and associate it in popular culture with piracy. He also employed two notorious female pirates, Anne Bonny and Mary Read - a rarity in those times (well, I guess this would be a rarity even today)! If you are interested in more, the Pirates of Nassau museum on the island takes you on a journey to the the golden age of piracy.

Related Posts: Arriving in Paradise, Cracked Conch and Bahama Mamas.