A walk through Spanish Wells

Blue Skies, one of the cottages in the settlement of Spanish Wells.

A walk through the settlement of Spanish Wells is like seeing a New England village planted in the Bahamas. Their history dates back to the 1600's, when Spanish fleets sailing from the New World back to the Old World would stop here for water (hence the name) and refuge from storms.

The Eleutheran Adventurers were shipwrecked here in 1647 after sailing from Bermuda to escape religious persecution; they refused to swear allegiance to the Crown and wanted to practice their own faith. Over 370 years later, the influence of English culture is evident in their architecture, their language, the local shops and even the small cemetery that lies in the middle of town.

Capt. Stevies, another Spanish Wells cottage.

 Brenda and I spent an afternoon, joined by our 8-year old grand-nephew Aiden, walking through the streets of this small town. Golf carts are the preferred mode of transportation for island residents, and we caught a ride with Bill and Cathy to go check out the grocery store (amazing selection of food for our provisioning), and the hardware, marine supplies, and tackle shops. The tackle shop was located in the garage of a resident.

Spanish Wells cat poses for our blog.

Today Spanish Wells thrives due to it's seafood industry (primarily spiny lobster, harvested locally and shipped out from the harbour), and has about 1,500 permanent residents.

Including a black cat who was not camera shy...

Most of the cottages in Spanish Wells were painted with bright colors and had well tended landscapes and gardens.

Brenda, Aiden and Gary catch a cart ride to the grocery store.

Fishing trawlers line the docks at Spanish Wells Harbour.