Trinidad

Ideal stay

4–5 nights

The vibe

Loud, generous, unpolished, food-first

From our guides

1. 01

   Maracas Bay and bake and shark

   The north coast beach reached over a forested ridge, where the ritual lunch is fried shark in a soft fried bun loaded from a table of sauces.

2. 02

   Northern Range birdwatching

   The forested ridge behind the capital holds one of the Caribbean's richest bird lists, with dawn walks for hummingbirds, toucans and nocturnal oilbirds.

3. 03

   Caroni Swamp at dusk

   Flat-bottomed boats push through mangrove channels to a roost where thousands of scarlet ibis come in at sunset and turn the trees red.

4. 04

   Panyard rehearsals

   In the weeks before Carnival, steelbands practise in open yards across Port of Spain, and anyone can stand at the fence and listen for nothing.

5. 05

   Queen's Park Savannah

   A vast open green ringed by the colonial mansions known as the Magnificent Seven, with the Botanic Gardens on one side and food carts around it at night.

6. 06

   Manzanilla and the east coast

   Miles of coconut palms lean over grey Atlantic sand, wilder and emptier than the north, with the Nariva wetland and its red howler monkeys behind.

1. Fly to

   Port of Spain (POS)

   Nearest airport to Trinidad, about 19km away as the crow flies.

2. Then

   To Port of Spain

   Piarco (POS) is about forty minutes by taxi west into Port of Spain, considerably longer in rush hour.

3. On the ground

   Getting around

   Central Port of Spain is walkable in patches, but shared route taxis and maxi taxis are how the city moves. Maracas Bay is about an hour over the mountain road.

Public transport: Maxi taxis and route taxis cover the island cheaply and constantly, though the routes are learned by asking rather than read off a timetable.

Guesthouses, apartments and a handful of business hotels in Port of Spain, plus beach houses on the north coast. This is not a resort island, so expect rooms rather than all-inclusives.

• Best base overall

  Woodbrook, Port of Spain

  Central, walkable and full of guesthouses, with Ariapita Avenue's bars and roti shops at the end of the street. It gets loud at weekends, which cuts both ways.

  Find stays in Woodbrook, Port of Spain →
• Best for nightlife

  St James

  The city that never sleeps, as locals call it, with late food stalls and bars running past midnight and panyards nearby. Rooms are basic and the street noise is constant.

  Find stays in St James →
• Best with children

  Maraval

  A leafy residential valley north of the centre, with quieter guesthouses and the Maracas Bay road starting here. You will need taxis for everything in town.

  Find stays in Maraval →
• Quietest

  St Ann's

  Hillside houses above the Savannah, calm and green and still a short drive from the museums and the panyards. Almost nothing within walking distance after dark.

  Find stays in St Ann's →

Worth knowing before you book: Carnival accommodation is booked a year ahead at several times the usual rate, often with minimum stays. Outside that fortnight rooms are easy to find.

Timing

Carnival dates move with Easter and dominate February or March. Book flights and rooms many months ahead, or come well outside it.

Cash or card

Cards work in supermarkets and malls, but street food, maxi taxis and small bars run on Trinidad and Tobago dollars in cash.

Safety

Ordinary city caution applies in Port of Spain, particularly after dark. Take a booked car rather than walking between neighbourhoods at night.

Eat early

Doubles are a breakfast food and the good vendors sell out by mid-morning. Say how much pepper you want before they close the bara.

Sea sense

Maracas has strong currents and lifeguards for a reason. Swim between the flags and take the warning signs at face value.