Where Jack Sparrow Came Ashore: Visit Wallilabou Bay’s Pirates of the Caribbean Film Set

The Harbour That Became Port Royal

Captain Jack Sparrow makes it to Port Royal just as his boat slips beneath him. If you remember that entrance from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, you’ve already seen Wallilabou Bay on screen. On St. Vincent’s leeward coast, the bay still gives you a chance to see how a real harbour became a movie set.

How Wallilabou Bay became Port Royal

For the first film, released in 2003, the crew built the Port Royal set around Wallilabou Anchorage. The hotel, restaurant and neighbouring buildings became part of the screen version of the Jamaican port, and the hotel rooms doubled as places for the actors to wait between scenes. When you watch Jack’s arrival again, look beyond his sinking boat at the shape of the bay and the hills behind the waterfront.

See the story of the set from Wallilabou Anchorage.

Rewatch Jack Sparrow’s arrival before you go

In the opening sequence, Jack passes beneath the rock arch before stepping from his sinking boat onto the dock. Rewatch the scene before your visit, then look out from the waterfront and compare the headlands and the shape of the bay with what you saw on screen.

Read more about the filming location in this guide to the film’s locations.

What you can see at the film set

Start at the waterfront. Look across the bay, then turn back towards the buildings. The shoreline gives you a sense of how the crew used a real harbour to make Port Royal feel like a working port.

Look for the props. The anchorage has displayed pirate coffins, costumes and cannon props. Ask what’s on display when you arrive and where visitors can take photos.

See the behind-the-scenes photos. If the museum is open, look for images of the set under construction and photographs of the cast. They show how much work went into turning the waterfront into a town from another era. The anchorage maintains and restores parts of the set, so what you can see may vary.

Planning your visit from Kingstown

Wallilabou Bay is a road trip from Kingstown along St. Vincent’s west coast. If you’re visiting on a cruise, share your ship’s name and all-aboard time when arranging the trip. Leave time for the drive back and ask what your tour includes, especially if you want time to see the museum or take photos by the bay.

If you have more time, ask about adding Wallilabou Heritage Park nearby. If you’re visiting independently, check site access and opening arrangements with the anchorage before setting off.

Build a west-coast day around Wallilabou Bay

For a short outing: Give yourself time at the waterfront and the film display. If you’d like another stop nearby, ask about Wallilabou Heritage Park, where a small waterfall and pool sit beneath samaan trees along the Wallilabou River.

For a longer outing: Ask about pairing the film set with Dark View Falls. If you’re on a cruise, browse TravelSVG’s cruise excursions and share your all-aboard time so we can suggest what fits.

Plan your St. Vincent excursion and tell us which stops you’d like to include.

For trail and river-crossing details, read our Dark View Falls visitor guide.