Spanish Town

Founded by the Spanish as Villa de la Vega and taken by the English in 1655, Spanish Town was the capital of Jamaica until 1872, and its central square is the best piece of Georgian civic architecture in the Caribbean: the Old House of Assembly on one side, the ruined King's House on another, the courthouse on a third and, on the fourth, a domed memorial to Admiral Rodney standing in a colonnade. The cathedral of St James, rebuilt after the 1712 hurricane, is the oldest Anglican cathedral outside England and its floor is paved with memorial slabs going back to the seventeenth century. The Iron Bridge over the Rio Cobre, cast in England in 1801, is among the oldest of its kind anywhere.

What you actually see

• The Georgian square - Old House of Assembly, King's House ruin and Rodney memorial.
• St James Cathedral - the oldest Anglican cathedral outside England.
• The Iron Bridge - cast in 1801, one of the earliest surviving iron bridges.
• The People's Museum - in the old King's House stables.

When to go

December to April is drier. Mornings are best. The square and cathedral take a couple of hours. Weekdays are easier for finding buildings open; the museum keeps limited hours.

Honest expectations

Spanish Town has a serious reputation for crime in parts and most visitors are advised to go with a driver or guide, stay in the historic core, and not wander; the square itself is fine in daylight but the surrounding streets are another matter. Many of the buildings are in poor repair and King's House is a shell. The Iron Bridge has been closed and deteriorating for years.

Nearby

Kingston is half an hour east; the Bog Walk gorge is north.