We toured the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ set on a trip to St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Until I began planning a trip to St. Vincent and the Grenadines to visit Sandals’ newest resort, I knew little about the island country or its history. With a population just over 100,000 people, St. Vincent isn’t as well known as some other Caribbean islands, but it holds an interesting secret in the depths of its surrounding seas.

In 2002, “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” was filmed on St. Vincent. Scenes from subsequent “Pirates” films were also shot on the island. More than 20 years later, the film set still exists, allowing tourists to walk right into Port Royal to live their own pirate adventures.

The town of Port Royal in the film is based on a 17th-century port town in southeastern Jamaica, but with its blue waters and mountainous terrain, it’s no surprise the volcanic island of St. Vincent became the set of “Pirates of the Caribbean,” frequented by actors like Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley. At Wallilabou Anchorage — an alcove with a beach, room for ships to anchor, and lots of “Pirates” memorabilia — fans of the franchise can see Port Royal up close and personal, an experience that had me singing,”Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me.”

How to Get to the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Set in St. Vincent

Wallilabou Anchorage is located in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on the island of St. Vincent. If you’re visiting a St. Vincent resort like Sandals or stopping in Kingstown as a cruise port, plenty of companies offer excursions that include a stop at this iconic movie set. There are also taxis and other forms of public transportation on the island, so it’s possible to visit the “Pirates of the Caribbean” set without scheduling an organized tour.

I visited Wallilabou Anchorage as a stop on an excursion from my resort. The area is clearly marked from the main road and as soon as we pulled into the parking lot, I felt like I had been transported straight to Port Royal.

What “Pirates of the Caribbean” Things Can You See at Wallilabou Anchorage?

The most stunning part of Wallilabou Anchorage is the alcove itself. I watched the first movie in the “Pirates” franchise before my trip so Port Royal would be fresh in my mind. 20 years after filming here, the area looks exactly the same, right down to the jutting rock formation where Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) sees dead pirates hanging with a “pirates be ye warned” sign at the beginning of the movie. It’s a beautiful area — all vibrant blue waters and green, tree-filled mountains — so have your camera ready and practice your best pirate poses.

Wallilabou Anchorage has done a great job maintaining a pirate feel in the area. There are plenty of skeleton pirates, coffins, gallows, nooses, and even a pirate dungeon on the property.

The anchorage also has hotel accommodations right along the water, where some of the cast and crew stayed during filming. (Yes, guests can still stay there today.) There’s lots of movie memorabilia scattered throughout the property, from movie posters to a Jack Sparrow statue to the original mast from the first “Pirates” film, which Disney gifted to the anchorage after filming.

There’s a restaurant on property as well, serving Caribbean food like fish creole and jerk pork and drinks like fresh tamarind juice and rum punch. When we visited, there were a few local vendors — one of whom said he was an extra in the films — selling handmade crafts and jewelry. 

St. Vincent was affected by an eruption from La Soufrière, the volcano on the island, in 2021, followed by damage from Hurricane Elsa a few months later. Locals say there used to be more “Pirates” memorabilia at Wallilabou Anchorage, but damage from these two natural disasters did no favors for efforts to maintain the set.

“Johnny Depp Bay” and Other Lasting “Pirates” Effects on St. Vincent

“Pirates of the Caribbean” has left a lasting mark on St. Vincent, bringing a bit of fame to the beautiful island and immortalizing its gorgeous views and waters in film forever. Throughout our visit to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, locals told us stories of other spots on the island where parts of the movie were filmed or where celebrities were spotted during filming. Among the lore is “Johnny Depp Bay,” a spot we drove past on our excursion where our tour guide shared a funny story.

Local lore says the bay is known as Johnny Depp Bay because, during the filming of “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,” the Jack Sparrow-portraying actor was known to imbibe, then trash his hotel room.

“The producers bought a yacht and put it out in this bay,” our guide shared. “They told him they didn’t care if he burned the boat to the ground, but that he had to stop destroying hotel rooms.”

While this story is unconfirmed, it’s funny to think about. And, like most spots in St. Vincent, Depp’s “bay” is stunning — definitely not a bad spot to hole up in during filming if the rumors are true.

What’s more, shops and bars sell Sparrow’s Premium Rum, a product of St. Vincent Distillers that features a pirate ship on the label and pays tribute to the island’s history with the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise. For those who imbibe, it’s a nice way to take home a bit of St. Vincent history with you — just don’t trash your hotel room (or yacht) after drinking it.

Find it: Wallilabou Anchorage, Leeward Highway, Wallilabou Bay, St. Vincent, VC0350, St. Vincent and the Grenadines (784) 458-7270

That’s a Wrap

After filming wrapped for “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” on St. Vincent, the movie premiered at Disneyland. See the red carpet stretch the length of Main Street, US.A. — along with other film premieres in Disney parks — in our previous story:

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