There is no doubt that there was plenty of gold to be shared, and dividing the booty from a ship that was taken by pirates, was part of the reason why piracy became so popular. The likelihood that pirates’ treasure chests were actually buried on desert islands in the Caribbean is disputed but appears as a key feature in many novels and stories about pirates. It was said that some pirates would hide their treasure on deserted islands while they continued on the hunt for more Spanish ships to capture, thus came the legendary buried treasure map which has everyone hoping to stumbleupon pirates’ treasure when they visit the Caribbean.

The easiest place for pirates to intercept these ships was when they were passing through the Caribbean stocking up on supplies before crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Pirates or “ pirateers” from England and other European countries would try to intercept these Spanish ships and take the booty (gold).

Part of the reason for pirates’ fascination with gold and treasure was thanks to its abundance during the Golden Age of Pirates which was around the 16th and 17th century when the Spanish in particular were transporting gold back to Spain from its conquered lands in Central and South America. And rightly so! Pirates in the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Pirates were driven by the search for gold and treasure. No tale about a pirate or Caribbean pirate ship is complete without some reference to treasure or hidden treasure chests that come with a crumpled treasure map leading to where X marks the spot.

Treasure maps on pirates caribbean hunt