Trinidad

[llarsen]

We will be stopping in Trinidad this January for the first time. We are unfamiliar with Trinidad and are having difficulty finding reviews or information.

We rarely do cruise ship tours and plan to go to Maracas beach on our own (there are 4 of us). Does anyone know if this is do-able on our own and where we would catch a taxi (or bus), the approximate cost per person, and if there is anything else we could do that would be special.

It is my husbands birthday and he enjoys snorkeling and photography. Are there any jungle type tours worth doing or any good snorkel companies? We have been to Tahiti and many great snorkel locations in the past, so the snorkel tour would have to be great to make it special.

 

Thank you!

[goneclear]

You did not mention how long your ship will be in port for but if it is the usual 6 to 8 hours yes Maracas is do-able on your own. I definately recomend it. You can get taxis at the cruise ship terminal. Negotiate with the taxi to wait for you at Maracas while you are there. Try eating a shark and bake while you are there. There will be some great photo ops on the way to Maracas.

Note Maracas is just a sandy beach. Not good for snorkeling as there is not much to see. On page 2 of this board there are a couple of threads on Trinidad with some additional info.

[Aplmac]

On the way to Maracas Bay

you'll almost certainly stop at the Maracas Lookout!

 

here's the view looking West..

 

 

and here's the view looking East, towards Maracas Bay

Maracas Bay being the next one along,behind that headland..

 

_____________________________________

 

When you get to Maracas Bay

you might expect this..

 

 

and this..

 

 

 

In the Maracas Bay car-park you'll see Richard's Shark & Bake,

a small concession stand.

That's the place goneclear refers to.

Don't miss it, eh? :)

[llarsen]

Thank! Maracas looks beautiful, I didn't realize Trinidad was so tropical. I was just worried there would not be taxis available as I heard there isn't much tourism there at the Port of Spain.

Does anyone know if there are catamaran snorkel/beach excursions like they have in Barbados, Aruba, Grand Cayman and many of the other islands? I haven't been able to find any.

Next cruise we stop at Tobago, can't wait for that one!

[Aplmac]

Maracas looks beautiful,

I didn't realize Trinidad was so tropical. ===> The flora and fauna are decidedly S.American!

I was just worried there wouldn't be taxis available as I heard there isn't much tourism at the Port of Spain.

 

Does anyone know if there are catamaran snorkel/beach excursions

like they have in Barbados, Aruba, Grand Cayman and many of the other islands?

I haven't been able to find any. ===> Bcoz few -if any- exist.

 

Next cruise we stop at Tobago, can't wait for that one!

Tobago is where you'll get the snorkelling/beach thing

-not Trinidad(the coastline just isn't suitable).

The island is hard on the continental shelf - Venezuela is 10-15 miles away

and easily visible on clear days! (see the picture)

Trinidad's tourism product is more of an inland tours thing

with nature tours and bird observation hikes into forest, savannah and swampy areas

to see incredible stuff -it's not marine.

And being it's a fairly big,busy island(with traffic) those inland tours aren't too suitable

for 1-day cruisers ashore for just 6-8 hrs. due to the limited time constraints.

 

Which is why most of us recommend Maracas Bay.

It's suitable touristy, it's not far, it's scenic along the way,

and it avoids Trinidad's busy East-to-West corridor where transit times get lengthy!

 

Hope this explains things for you.

Trinidad is not yer typical white sands/turquoise waters Caribbean island

but if you're there for a week, it'll wow your socks off! :)

 

 

 

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See that big blue-ish mountain in the far distance?

That's Venezuela's Peninsula de Paria

This view is taken from the lookout along the Lady Young Rd.

overlooking the Western part of Port of Spain.

[llarsen]

Thanks for all the pics and help!

[sweet]

Does Maracas Beach have bathrooms, lockers ? Any help would be great !!!!

[bluefete]

To Sweet:

 

Maracas Bay does have bathrooms. No lockers though. I have not been there for a while but the charge previously was TT$1. (about US$0.17) to use the changing rooms.

 

If you have time, Las Cuevas beach, about 10 minutes from Maracas Bay, is a much better visit.

 

To LLarsen:

 

Goneclear is correct. Trinidad is not for snorkelling. Given your time constraints, Maracas Bay or Las Cuevas beach are doable. If you make it to Las Cuevas beach ask for Ms. Joyce at the informal beach bar.