Part of Kingston parish, the Palisadoes is a thin stretch of barren sand, brush, and mangroves; it acts as a natural barrier protecting Kingston Harbour, with Port Royal at its western point. History has not smiled on this corner of Jamaica, perhaps due to some divine justice aimed at washing clean the sins and abuses that made Port Royal Britain’s first commercial stronghold in Jamaica.

Fort Charles (9 a.m.–4:45 p.m. daily, US$5 admission/ tour) is the most prominent historical attraction in town and the most impressive, well-restored fort in Jamaica. Built in 1656 immediately following the British takeover, it is the oldest fort on the island from the British colonial period, and one of the oldest in the New World.

McFarlene’s Bar is the oldest tavern in Port Royal, constructed in the 1800s, and one of the few buildings to withstand Hurricane Charlie in 1951. Unfortunately the pub no longer serves pints.

The Old Naval Hospital is the oldest prefabricated cast-iron structure in the Western Hemisphere. The hospital was built in 1818 on the foundation of another hospital destroyed by fire a few years prior, using slave labor under the direction of the Royal Engineers of the British Army.