Must See

Trinidad

Trinidad, only 12 km (7 miles) off the coast of Venezuela is the fifth largest and southernmost of the West Indian Islands. A forested mountain range runs across the top of the island giving it what looks like handles - the capital, Port of Spain, is on the south shore of the western handle.

Port of Spain

Port of Spain is the capital and business hub of oil-rich Trinidad and contains about a quarter of the population. Surrounded by the lush green hills of the Northern Range, the city incorporates many fine buildings in a mixture of styles, including the German Renaissance Queen's Royal College; Stollmeyer's Castle (an imitation of a Bavarian Castle), the Moorish-styled Prime Minister's office at Whitehall and President of the Republic's residence, Victorian houses with gingerbread fretwork, and the 19th-century Gothic Holy Trinity Cathedral.

Port of Spain captures the variety of Trinidadian life, with bazaars thronging beneath modern skyscrapers and mosques rubbing shoulders with cathedrals. The main shopping area is along Frederick Street south of Woodford Square (where there are many fine colonial buildings). Other highlights include the National Museum and Art Gallery, the Red House (a stately colonial building, now the seat of government) and the Royal Botanic Gardens. Nearby beaches include Las Cuevas, Maracas Bay and Chaguaramas.

Queen's Park Savannah

About a kilometre north of Port of Spain is the magnificent Queen's Park Savannah, located at the foot of the Northern Range. This large, green space is a combination of manmade and natural beauty, with attractive trees and shrubs forming a backdrop to playing fields and elaborate mansions.

These elegant old and modern buildings around the perimeter include 'The Magnificent Seven', a row of houses on Maraval Road: Queen's Royal College (Italianate style with a great tower), Hayes Court (home of the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of the Anglican Church in Trinidad and Tobago), Millefleurs (once a private mansion, now owned by the state), Roomor (a private home), the Residence of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Port-of-Spain, and White Hall, the office of the Prime Minister. More interesting buildingd can be seen along Queen's Park West to the south of the park, including the modern US Embassy, All Saints Church (1846) and an elaborate gingerbread tropical house.

The Trinidad Hilton on the northeast corner of the Savannah offers views of the city.

San Fernando

San Fernando, on the southwest tip of Trinidad, is the main commercial centre in the south and the island's second town. Located nearby is Pitch Lake, a 90 acre lake of asphalt that constantly replenishes itself. Visitors to the site may walk across the fairly solid skin of the lake, but must do so with a guide as several areas are too soft to support people.

Tobago

Tobago is the smaller, quieter, sibling of Trinidad, but appealing in its own right. In contrast to the more active main island, it is essentially a tropical paradise without industry. Lying about 35 km north-east of Trinidad, Tobago is awash with vast stretches of beaches, such as Turtle Bay where you can watch pelicans dive for fish as you sunbathe, and Pigeon Point on the northwest coast, which has an extensive coral reef lying a mile offshore.

There are gorgeous, protected rainforests in the volcanic eastern area, as well as botanical gardens and wildlife. The island has drawn foreigners for centuries; in fact nearly every European colonial power has fought to have the island at some stage.

Charlotteville

Charlotteville is a fishing town on the eastern end of the north coast of Tobago that commands precipitous views of the headlands. Looming above the town is Pigeon Peak, the highest point on the island. A good viewpoint can be found on Flagstaff Hill, which is reached by a road which branches off the one that descends into the town. There are good swimming beaches, including Pirate's Bay, which can only be reached by boat.

Scarborough

The capital of Tobago, Scarborough is not a prime tourist city. However, it has a number of quaint houses which spill down from the hilltop to the waterside, as well as the Tobago Museum, which showcases artefacts from Tobago's early American Indian and colonial days. There is also the Court House built in 1825 and now used as the meeting place for the Tobago House of Assembly, along with some interesting Botanical Gardens. Just opposite the docks is a market area, which is busiest on Friday and Saturdays.

Scarborough is overshadowed by the Fort King George, which was built in 1779 during the many struggles between the English and the French. It is the best preserved fort on Tobago, with some of the original brick and stone walls, several cannons, the officers' mess, an early prison and a later lighthouse still surviving. The site also offers both a good view of the town and a park-like tranquillity with some magnificent trees, and is an excellent point from which to view the sunset.

Speyside

This small fishing village on Tyrrel's Bay is a colourful beach settlement, from which can be seen Little Tobago (a 450 acre bird sanctuary) and tiny Goat Island. The bay offers excellent snorkelling and scuba diving, with chances to see giant manta rays, turtles, moray eels and 70 species of coral. Boat tours of the local reefs may be taken, as may trips to the bird sanctuary on Little Tobago Island.