Brave sea robbers, seizing prey, hid it until quiet times in the most remote and secluded corners of the planet.
Despite the fact that the pirate trade belongs rather to the times of the past, in those places where it was widespread, they perfectly remember the glorious past and carefully preserve the stories about the brave sea robbers, and sometimes they find the treasures left by them.
Puerto Rico
Just 200 years ago, the pirate Roberto Korfesi ruled on the island and in the surrounding waters. As usual, popular rumor attributes him to the status of a local Robin Hood, who distributed the stolen treasures to the poor and children of the island. However, they say that he did not distribute everything, but hid most of it in a safe place, but it is so good that even his numerous descendants still cannot find this wealth. And Roberto Korfesi is also credited with the fame of the creator of the Pina Colada cocktail, with which he gave to drink to his sailors to raise morale.
Barbary Coast
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This is how Europeans called the northern coast of Africa, where Muslim pirates were based, for several centuries, from the 15th to the 19th. The most famous of them was Khair ad-Din Barbarossa, who not only successfully plundered Spanish ships, but also perfectly defended Algeria from the Spanish conquerors. In his old age, having amassed a decent fortune and earning the status of "Emir of Emirs" by his exploits, Barbarossa settled in Istanbul, built himself a palace over the Bosphorus and married a young beauty. He died peacefully in his bed and was buried in the mosque he built. And for tens of years, Turkish ships, leaving the Golden Horn Bay, saluted in front of his mausoleum, and the crew offered prayers for the famous navigator and powerful pirate.
Madagascar, Saint Marie island
At the end of the 17th century, when many pirates had to move from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, they made a tiny island near Madagascar their capital. The main prey of sea robbers in those places was overseas spices. The invasion of pirates was so significant, and the local women were so greedy for velvet camisoles that a couple of centuries later a new tribe "zanamalata" was formed on the island, all of them pirate descendants. Moreover, it was an elite tribe. For example, the son of the famous filibuster Thomas White and the local queen Rahena was even educated in London. Which, however, did not prevent him from following in the footsteps of his father and organizing raids not only to the Comoros, but also to the possessions of his colleagues living nearby. They say that the beaches of the island are so stuffed with pirate treasures,that the natives regularly find gems and coins from the treasures washed out by the surf.
New Providence, Bahamas
Many Spanish ships carrying silver plundered in the Andes were sunk by pirates in the Bahamas. By the way, it was here that Edward Teach (Blackbeard), who served as the prototype for Captain Flint in Stevenson's novel "Treasure Island", did the villainous. The small town of Nassau on New Providence Island was a major pirate base and thrived on the loot trade. The island's governor also made a big fortune on the bribes he received from pirates. In 1717, England got tired of this state of affairs, and she sent a new governor (also a former pirate) here, who in 10 years dealt with sea robbers, and at the same time ruined the island's economy.
Cuba
Liberty Island cannot be called a pirate stronghold, although filibusters regularly hid in the swampy thickets of the southern part of the island. Quite the opposite, despite the fact that the surroundings of Cuba were teeming with pirates, its capital, Havana, remained an impregnable fortress, a transit point where ships laden with treasures stopped before a long and dangerous voyage to their homeland. In the vicinity of the island, so many ships were sunk that, they say, the ocean sometimes still carries ashore silver bars from the Spanish galleons buried at the bottom. The small town of Matanzas is especially famous for this, where the treasury fleet of the King of Spain sank at the beginning of the 17th century.
South China coast
At the beginning of the 19th century, the female pirate Zheng Shi ruled the southern coast of China and is considered one of the most successful filibusters in the world. Before starting her pirate career, Madame Jing worked as a prostitute in a Chinese brothel, where she met China's most famous pirate, Zheng Yi, whom she later married. During its heyday, under her command were two thousand ships. 400 of them she inherited from her drowned husband, and the rest were captured already under her command. In 1810, when the Chinese authorities took the sea robbers seriously, Zheng Shi managed to reach a peace agreement with them, settled in Guangzhou, opened a brothel and happily lived to be 60 years old.
Saint-Malo, Brittany, France
Originated in the 6th century as a monastic abode, by the 16th century the town had become a refuge for pirates of all stripes. From here they made their raids on English ships sailing along the English Channel, and contributed much to the prosperity of the city in the 17th and 18th centuries. However, local filibusters were not limited exclusively to the English Channel, setting off from their hometown on raids around the world. Even whole pirate dynasties were formed on the island, and a monument to the head of one of them, Robert Surcouf, was erected in one of the central squares. Last year, in the more than once cleaned bay, just opposite the island, archaeologists discovered a rich treasure located on four sunken pirate ships. And now scientists are racking their brains about what could have caused their death in such a friendly place.
Strait of malacca
A thin strip of water between Malaysia and Sumatra has long served as the main channel for transporting goods between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Pirates have always been here and in our time they have not gone anywhere: they rob both large merchant ships and small pleasure yachts. But this is not enough, if the actions of filibusters can be predicted, then the tricks of nature cannot be predicted. The Strait of Malacca is considered the second Bermuda Triangle; so many ships and aircraft have disappeared here for no apparent reason. Thanks to the deeds of higher powers, at the bottom of the strait there are more than 200 ships with treasures, which are more expensive to get than they cost. However, enterprising locals know several places where ships sank in shallow water, and for a small fee they show them to divers.