Where is the world is Caridad?

For many many years, we had the lovely tradition of spending Thanksgiving with my sister and her family. But then Covid came around as well as some other circumstances and now we travel for the Thanksgiving holiday. While we were away we had a chance to visit somewhere I’d never been before but had heard about often. Can you guess where in the world I am? I’ll give you some clues! It’s a coastal city that was once the largest in the state. Named for a Spanish leader, it was run by French pirates for a number of years. P.S. – While you’re trying to figure it out, I hope you’ll check out Lost in Little Havana at https://amzn.to/3FT144d.