In the 16th and 17th centuries, long before the movie Pirates of the Caribbean, there were real pirates of the Caribbean. One of the most fearsome of them was Jost Van Dyke, a merciless Dutch pirate. He struck passing ships from the harbours of the small island that today bears his name.

Fortunately, the island gained some respectability in the 18th century. In the 1730s, the island was settled by Quakers, who began cultivating the land for sugar cane and cotton. From these settlers came the islands favorite sons, Dr. John C. Lettsome (founder of the British Medical Society), born in 1744, and William Thornton (architect of the U.S. Capitol building), born in 1759.

The island has remained largely undeveloped until late in the 20th century. With the arrival of electricity and paved roads in the 1990s, that has slowly begun to change. But the island remains a largely unspoiled and breathtaking paradise. Come join us and see what made it so popular among the real pirates of the Caribbean four centuries ago.