Trinidad & Tobago Travel Guide

Trinidad and Tobago is a fascinating pair of islands, with a mix of Indian, Asian, English, and African cultures.

It also has unique flora and fauna, as well as a vibrant nightlife that has produced calypso, soca, and steel drum music.

Home to the largest carnival party in the Caribbean, the country has the strongest economy of all in the Caribbean, and the capital is a bustling city with half a million people.

Trinidad has incredible wildlife, while Tobago remains a little gem on the fringes of mass tourism.

We hope you enjoy watching this video about Discover Trinidad and Tobago in two minutes

Source: Tarique Eastman

Basic travel information

  • Location: between the Caribbean and the Atlantic, northeast of Venezuela.
  • Size: Trinidad, 850 square miles; Tobago, 16 square miles.
  • Capital: Port of Spain, Trinidad.
  • Language: English, French, Spanish, and Hindi are widely spoken.
  • Religions: Catholic, Protestant, Hindu, Islamic, and Jewish.
  • Currency: Trinidad and Tobago dollar; Widely accepted US dollar.
  • Area code: 868.
  • Tip: 10-15 percent
  • Climate: The rainy season runs from June to December.

The average temperature is 82 degrees Fahrenheit. It is located outside the hurricane belt.

Activities and attractions

Port of Spain is a large, bustling, and modern city of around 40,000 inhabitants and the epicenter of the country's annual carnival celebration.

Get out into the countryside and you'll find natural attractions and wildlife.

One fascinating site is Lake Pitch, which consists of 40 hectares of soft, sticky tar that is the source of much of the world's asphalt.

Trinidad and Tobago are known for their incredible diversity of wildlife, especially birds.

You can see the national bird, the scarlet ibis, at the Caroni Bird Sanctuary.

The pace is a bit slower in Tobago. Main activities here include scuba diving to see the world's largest brain coral and deep-sea fishing for big fish.

Beaches

Although Trinidad has a large number of beaches, they are not as perfect as those in Tobago.

Those on the north coast, including Balandra Bay, are the best for swimming.

Maracas Bay is popular with locals, has good facilities, and is home to the famous Bake and Shark shops.

In Tobago, Pigeon Point Beach is particularly charming; Great Courland Bay has crystal clear waters and the unspoiled Englishman's Bay is a bit wild; you will probably have it all to yourself.

Hotels and resorts

Many visitors to Trinidad come on business, so most of the hotels on this island cater to them and are close to the capital, including the Hilton Trinidad & Conference Center and the elegant Hyatt Regency Trinidad.

An exception and recommended option for nature lovers are the Asa Wright Nature Center & Lodge, which is a bird-watching facility that is a true haven in nature.

Tobago is another tourist destination and has some luxury resorts, such as Le Grand Courlan Spa Resort and Magdalena Grand Beach Resort, as well as less expensive inns and villas.

Restaurants and Cuisine

The cuisine of these islands is a happy mix of African, Indian, Chinese, English, French, and Spanish influences.

You can try roti, which is a sandwich consisting of a soft tortilla-like wrap and a filling; spicy Indian meat and vegetable dishes; and pelau, which is coconut milk chicken with peas and rice.

Make sure to wash it all down with native fruit juice or a cold Caribbean beer.

In Tobago, try Kariwak Village, which offers an especially attractive buffet dinner on Fridays and Saturdays.

History and culture

The Spanish colonized these islands, but they later came under British control.

Slavery was abolished in 1834, opening the door to Indian contract workers. Oil was discovered in Trinidad in 1910; the islands became independent in 1962.

The ethnic mix of these islands, mainly African, Indian and Asian, creates an especially rich culture.

This is the cradle of the calypso, limbo, and steel drums. The islands also boast two Nobel Prize winners for literature: V. S. Naipaul, a native of Trinidad, and Derek Walcott, who moved there from Saint Lucia.

Events and festivals

Trinidad Carnival, which takes place in February or March, is a great party and one of the best reasons to come to this island.

The Tobago Heritage Festival, from July to August, celebrates the music, food, and dance of that island.

Nightlife

As you would expect from the country that gave rise to Caribbean musical traditions such as the calypso, the soca, and the steel drum, the nightlife, especially in Trinidad near Port of Spain, offers many options.

Bars, discos, strolling through the rum shops, dancing, and listening to music are some of the options.

Try 51 Degrees Lounge for dancing or Trotters, an English-style pub, if you fancy a beer and some sports.

Nightlife in Tobago tends to focus on the tourist centers.

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