Spanish Wells
Lynn & Mike ..around the world
Mike Drinkrow & Lynn v/d Hoven
Mon 5 Apr 2010 20:44
25:32.23N 076:45.46W
Spanish Wells, Eleuthera
We have spent a very quiet Easter weekend in
Spanish Wells on the northern most part of Eleuthera. Everything is
closed and we have just relaxed and looked around - taking in the sites of this
very pretty community. The name was apparently given by the Spanish
explorer's who believed this area to have the sweetest water in the
Bahamas!
Many residents are descendants of the
Loyalists who sought refuge here from the US war of Independence, and some
even claim to be descendants of the original Eleutheran Adventurers who were
ship-wrecked off the treacherous reefs in mid 1600's. Like many of the other
Bahamian islands, a few families dominate, with the names Pinder and Higgs being
very common. I suspect families are very large .. see the detail on these
headstone below, which we saw in the graveyard
Spanish Wells is actually three separate
islands, St Georges, Charles and Russell, 'joined' by a narrow
waterway which dominates life here. This is a wealthy community by island
standards, based on a very large fishing fleet. Many of the boats were 'in town'
and docked up and down the waterway, as the crayfish season has just
ended. These boats are about 75foot long and have very long
out-riggers with paravanes to give them stability while going slowly, or on
anchor.
In true Bahamian style the houses are all painted
pastel colours, and have well tended gardens. We enjoyed our walk though this
very neat and tidy town.
Tomorrow we are leaving Indigo for the day, and
taking a high speed ferry to Harbour Island.