Spanish Town

Some say that Virgin Gorda’s main settlement, Spanish Town, got its name from the Spaniards who settled there in the early 1500s. Others say that Spanish Town is a corruption of the early name, Penniston, which the settlement was known as.

In 1680, Spanish Town became the first seat of government in the British Virgin Islands. At the time, the town was a little more than an outpost—it became the capital only because the man nominated to be governor lived there. In 1717, the first census of the island found 317 whites living on Virgin Gorda and 303 blacks, more than were living on Tortola at the time. In 1742, the capital of the territory moved to Tortola, where it has remained since.

Today, Spanish Town is one of the most picturesque villages in the British Virgin Islands. Unrestrained by hills, it sprawls along a gentle slope, an attractive mix of homes, shops, churches, and schools. It is a nice place to walk as long as you avoid the brutal midday hours when the sun bores down from above. Islanders swear that the sun is hotter on Virgin Gorda, and they may be right.

A particularly nice walk follows Crabbe Hill Road along the “back” of the Valley, closest to the western shore. Just past the turnoff to the airport is the Methodist Church, one of the oldest churches in the British Virgin Islands. Some of the graves at the adjoining burial ground are marked with conch shells. Just past the Methodist Church is the local library and a little farther is the community clinic. St. Mary’s Episcopal Church sits on the brow of the hill and is another of the very earliest buildings on Virgin Gorda. The school next door is of more modern construction.