Our favourite experiences in south Trinidad

1. Pointe-à-Pierre Wild Fowl Trust & Oropouche Lagoon

The Wild Fowl Trust is a must-see, for us. It is an important eco-centre, located in Trinidad’s oil refinery, of all places, and is maintained by the oil industry. Located about 45 minutes south of Port of Spain, on the Petrotrin refinery grounds at Pointe-à- Pierre, this non-profit Trust covers 25 hectares, with free-roaming wildlife and enclosed breeding areas; it is home to many rare bird species, and allows visitors to get close to Trinidad’s national bird, the scarlet ibis. Wooden walkways take you right around two lakes full of water lilies and lotus flowers. The learning centre at the entrance provides a photographic display of the reserve’s plant life, insects, shells and Amerindian artefacts. The Trust recently opened a guest house called Petrea Place for visitors who want a weekend retreat. Also under its guardianship is the Oropouche Lagoon, about 6 km south of San Fernando on the Southern Main Road, a sanctuary for the fish and endangered wildfowl raised in the Trust’s breeding programme. Enquire at the Trust about visiting. For more information or to reserve, call Petrotrin at 658-4200 ext. 2512, or Molly Gaskin at 628-4145.

2. San Fernando Hill

The city of San Fernando is less than an hour’s drive from Port of Spain (except during rush hour). The San Fernando Hill, one of the south’s landmarks, offers the best view of the city and both ends of the island. The hill itself has been badly gouged by quarrying, but in 1980 it was declared a National Park. Since then it has been developed to provide a recreation area with a viewing gallery, picnic tables, a children’s playground, a fountain, toilet facilities, a cafeteria, lookouts, and an array of local flora. The entry road takes you straight up to the summit, and begins next to Soong’s Great Wall restaurant on Royal Road. The Hill is the home of the San Fernando Jazz Festival, usually hosted in July, and is open daily, free of charge, from 9am to 6pm.

3. Pitch Lake

The Pitch Lake, about 90 minutes from Port of Spain, is an extraordinary natural phenomenon. It looks like an enormous car park after a rain shower, but is actually one of only three natural asphalt lakes in the world (the other two are in Venezuela and Los Angeles). The “lake” has been mined and its fine asphalt exported since 1859; it is constantly replenished by bitumen oozing from a geological fault. Most of the surface is firm enough to walk on, though some spots are too soft for traffic. Natural springs, reputed to have healing properties, appear at the centre during the rainy season: their sulphuric water is supposed to be good for mosquito bites, rashes and skin conditions. Legend has it that a tribe of Amerindians was swallowed by the lake as punishment for eating hummingbirds, which hosted the spirits of their ancestors. A small museum houses artefacts recovered from the lake. The site is open daily from 9am to 5pm. Admission includes a guided tour. The La Brea Pitch Lake Tour Guides Association, tel. (868) 651-1232, operates from the La Brea Visitor Facility, which includes a snackette and a car park. Only use approved tour guides.

4. Point Fortin

Point Fortin, about two hours from Port of Spain, was for many years the site of Trinidad’s second oil refinery, but now turns natural gas into liquid form for export at a vast LNG processing facility. Every year in late April/early May, it celebrates Borough Day with a week of festivities. If you miss Trinidad’s main Carnival celebrations in February or March, Point Fortin is the place to be a month or two later. As it stages its own miniature Carnival, complete with J’Ouvert and a parade of bands, a Pan on the Move steel band competition, and several popular parties, the town is packed with people from all over the island

5. The road to Icacos

Beyond Point Fortin, the south-western tip of Trinidad is like another world. If you have the time (about 3–4 hours from Port of Spain), this is a drive through rich landscapes, beside coconut plantations, free-roaming buffalypso and breathtaking beaches. Many people in Port of Spain have never set eyes on this part of the island. Most weekends, Vessigny Beach is a venue for beach parties and excursions, but is often empty during the week. Situated just 3 km past the Pitch Lake at La Brea, it is a beach of brown sand and calm water, with changing rooms, picnic tables and a snack bar open at weekends and during school holidays. Further down the main road is a detour to Granville Beach, known for its Ash Wednesday Carnivalcool-down parties.

Toward Icacos, you’ll find the serene Cedros and Columbus Bays. Cedros has the widest beach on the island at low tide. These pristine bays and quiet fishing villages have wonderful views of the south-west coast and, on clear days, neighbouring Venezuela. There are no facilities here, but there are food and drink outlets nearby.

6. Indian food

Forty per cent of Trinidad and Tobago’s people are of Indian descent, so the presence of great Indian food is no surprise. But one part of the south has a special reputation: the area around Penal, Debe and Siparia, about 30 minutes beyond San Fernando. Vendors line the bustling main streets here, their Indian treats displayed in glass cases. Doubles, widely believed to have originated in Debe, is a cheap and filling snack and could be called the national food of Trinidad. It’s made of curried chickpeas folded between a light, fried dough. If you get a chance, try barfi, a milkbased sweet, flavoured with ginger or cardamom, accented with coconut or nuts; jalebi, a deepfried pretzel-shaped batter soaked in syrup, usually bright orange; and pholourie fritters made from split-peas served with spicy chutney (often mango or pommecythere). If you see kurma, saheena, baiganee, aloo (potato) pies and katchorie, give them a try too.

7. The Devil’s Woodyard

The name might sound scary, but there is nothing dangerous about the Devil’s Woodyard, Trinidad’s most visited mud volcano, about 30 minutes east of San Fernando. (There is another active and accessible site in Piparo.) Mud volcanoes are small volcano-shaped cones of mud and clay, usually less than 1-2 metres tall, cousins of the sulphur spring. They are formed by a mixture of hot water and fine sediment (mud and clay) spilling gently from a vent in the ground like lava, or spewing dramatically into the air like a fountain driven by escaping volcanic gas and boiling water. European settlers in Trinidad believed that the sound of the mud bubbling below the surface was the sound of the devil stockpiling wood: hence the name. For the most part, the Devil’s Woodyard splutters and bubbles harmlessly, or lapses into inactivity; when it does erupt, the intensity varies. This is not the most spectacular of the world’s natural wonders, but it is a curious phenomenon, and the Devil’s Woodyard is just the most accessible of many similar sites scattered about southern Trinidad. It also has the best facilities, including a children’s play area, picnic tables, and toilets. Some Hindus consider it a sacred spot and worship here. To reach it, follow Hindustan Road southwards, 3 km past Indian Walk and Princes Town.

8. The South Coast: Quinam Beach & Moruga

The mile-long Quinam Beach is a 4.5-mile drive down the Coora Road/Penal Quinam Road on the south coast, through teak plantations and forest. The waters are calm and good for swimming, and the sand is fine and brown, though it disappears during high tide. It is a favourite for weekend family outings. Moruga, further east, comes alive each August for the re-enactment of Christopher Columbus’s arrival on the island in 1498. The local community hosts a heritage festival in October.

9. South-east coast beaches: Mayaro & Manzanilla

It takes about two hours to reach Mayaro from Port of Spain via Sangre Grande and Manzanilla; it is also accessible across the island from San Fernando, via Princes Town and Rio Claro. Along the east coast, Atlantic waves thunder on the shore. The currents are strong, and in the middle of the year there is good surfing. Guest houses and private beach homes are often available for rent. Mayaro itself is a quiet fishing village whose glorious stretch of beach – the longest in the island – is perfect for long walks and a favourite with locals. In the afternoons the catch of the day is hauled onto the beach in huge seine nets.

North of Mayaro, Manzanilla is a long stretch of beach flanked by miles of coconut palms (“the Cocal”). Facilities at the northern end include a car park, snack bar, picnic tables, and changing rooms with showers and toilets.

Both Mayaro and Manzanilla have surprisingly strong currents: do not venture out very far or deep, especially on your own. Lifeguards are on duty in specific areas from 9 am to 5 pm.

10. Trinity Hills Wildlife Sanctuary & Reserve

The Trinity Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and Reserve occupies much of Trinidad’s southeastern corner. Its 65 square km of evergreen forest include the Trinity Hills along the south coast, which were probably the three hills Columbus spotted in July 1498 as he approached the island and named it Trinity. The reserve hosts a large range of indigenous animals, rivers, streams and waterfalls, birds, and rare creatures like the ocelot, capuchin monkey, back deer, armadillo, and opossum. Lagoon Bouffe is one of Trinidad’s largest mud volcanoes, 100 metres wide. Access to the reserve is restricted, so for information on how to visit, call 649-5539 before 4pm Monday–Friday, or Petrotrin’s switchboard at 658-4200.