Spanish Town, Colonial capital in Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica
Description
Spanish Town sits along the Rio Cobre river, roughly 16 kilometers west of Kingston in Saint Catherine Parish. The town spreads along the river, connecting old colonial districts with newer residential areas.
History
Spanish settlers founded the town in 1534 as Villa de la Vega and made it the island's first permanent capital. The town kept this role until 1872, when the administration moved to Kingston.
Culture
The town square is framed by red-brick Georgian buildings that now serve as government offices and courthouses. On market days, the surrounding area fills with vendors selling fresh produce from the nearby agricultural regions.
Practical
Buses connect the town regularly with Kingston via the A1 and A2 highways, and the journey takes around 30 minutes. Most sights sit close together in the historic center and can be explored on foot.
Did you know?
An iron bridge from 1801 crosses the Rio Cobre and ranks among the earliest cast-iron structures in the Western Hemisphere. The bridge originally served to ease trade between the capital and the western plantations.
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