Looking for a bit of plundering and swashbuckling on your next getaway? While we can’t guarantee you’ll walk away with any treasure, we can introduce you to some of the world’s top pirate-themed destinations. Here are five great places to unleash your inner pirate on your next vacation.
North Carolina
North Carolina’s coast was once a popular spot for plundering pirates, whose ports attracted the likes of Blackbeard himself. In fact, the North Carolina coast even became the watery grave of the notorious pirate in 1718. His beloved ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, also met its end just off the coast of Fort Macon, and you can take a look at some of the ship’s artifacts at the nearby North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort.
Florida
Florida has an old swashbuckling soul, with locales like Key West, St. Augustine and Fernandina Beach long being popular hangouts for buccaneers searching for safe havens. You can take a look at Florida’s pirate past at the St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum, where artifacts like Blackbeard’s weapons, a bona fide treasure chest, an authentic Jolly Rogers flag and Captain Kidd’s last journal are on display.
Castaway Cay
Disney’s private island in the Bahamas is rumored to have a real pirate past, as it lies right off an old trade route that would have made it the perfect hiding spot for plundering passing ships. Today, the shipwreck-themed island is much more family-friendly, but you’ll still find traces of a pirate-laced past around the island. Grab a snorkel and head into the water to spot hidden treasures like a sunken ship and Mickey Mouse statue. Since the island is privately operated by Disney, you’ll have to book a Disney cruise to visit this pirate-themed destination.
Treasure Island, Las Vegas
On first glance, you wouldn’t expect to find swashbuckling pirates and their sexy sirens in the middle of the Mojave Desert, but then again, anything is possible in Las Vegas. Every night, you’ll find a dramatic scene unfold in Siren’s Cove in front of Treasure Island on the Vegas Strip as sirens and pirates engage in an all-out high-seas war. And if you’re a pirate in love, you can even say “I do” aboard the Song Ship in Siren’s Cove.
Port Royal, Jamaica
If you’re looking for less kitsch and more seadog spirit, Port Royal should be at the top of your travel list. This Jamaican town was the true Caribbean capital for the plundering pirates of the day, as seen in Disney’s recent “Pirates of the Caribbean” series. Fort Charles and its Maritime Museum are the definite must-sees for pirate enthusiasts.
(Main image: No Frills Excursions used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license)
