Wherever you go in North Trinidad, the hills of the Northern Range loom on the horizon. The mountains plunge into the Caribbean Sea amid sandy half-moon bays and rocky headlands. Inland, rivers cascade through dense rainforest supporting prolific tree, shrub, bird, animal and insect life. The road is etched into the side of the Northern Range. Covered with “hanging gardens” of creepers and vines, the northern rock face soars skyward. Green forest plummets to the sea below.

Their highest point is El Cerro del Aripo (3,085 feet), closely followed by El Tucuche (3,072 feet). The hills are densely forested, descending on one side to the rugged north coast, where the island’s best beaches and hiking trails can be found, and on the other to the broad Caroni plains.

The way to Maracas is well-travelled. In the wet season, rainwater cascades off the hills. Trinis trek to Maracas for sea-baths and shark-and-bake served with appetising garlic, pepper and shadon beni (cilantro) sauces. Beyond Maracas, Las Cuevas is a sweeping half-moon bay with fishing boats at the eastern end. Continue eastward through La Fillette, a string of tiny coves half hidden below hanging rock, to Blanchisseuse village and bay. Here the road crosses the Marianne River over an old suspension bridge and disappears into a track to Paria and Madamas. Halfway through Blanchisseuse village, a right turn at the junction heads through the forest to Arima. It’s a winding route beneath forest canopy, beside gurgling streams. Some adventurers prefer to set out from Arima, with a stop at the Asa Wright Nature Centre, and the beach as their destination.

Along the southern side of these hills, a series of busy communities (known collectively as the East-West Corridor) lines the Eastern Main Road (EMR). The Churchill-Roosevelt Highway runs parallel to it a short distance to the south. Both head towards Arima, home to the survivors of the island’s indigenous people. Winding for several miles between them, the Priority Bus Route is reserved for maxi-taxis and buses. The EMR, though busy and congested, is the gateway to the attractions of the Northern Range foothills, such as Trinidad’s first capital, St Joseph, and the valley communities of Lopinot and Caura.

Parts of the north are well served by public transport, but you should use a car if you’re going to explore the more remote north coast. Accommodation is limited, though there are some good eco-lodges, guest houses and resorts.

Getting around

A rented car is the best way to explore the north coast and the Northern Range. Buses run from Port of Spain to Arima and Sangre Grande, from where you can connect to Grande Rivière and Mayaro; red band maxis (with a red stripe on the sides of the vehicles) and route taxis service the East-West Corridor, the Priority Bus Route and the Eastern Main Road. But this is a part of the island where you need to get away from the main roads. Exercise caution when driving along narrow country roads. Use your horn.

Where to go, What to See

Port of Spain to Blanchisseuse

• Paramin: Where the Maraval valley climbs into the Northern Range, villagers plant vegetables, herbs and seasonings. It is famous for the Paramin Parang festival which has superseded more sedate French Les Rois songs. Harvests, Creole masses and Christmas are highlights of the church season.
• St Andrew’s Golf Course: Trinidad’s 18-hole course at Moka in the upper Maraval valley.
• Maracas Lookout: Overlooking La Vache Bay, this lookout provides fabulous views east and west, with coconut and fruit vendors aplenty. There’s also occasional impromptu entertainment from a calypsonian with cuatro.
• Maracas Bay: Trinidad’s most popular beach. Good surf. Excellent food: try shark-and-bake, aloo pies. Busy on weekends.
• El Tucuche: Trinidad’s second highest peak looms on the right between Maracas and Las Cuevas. The hike to El Tucuche’s summit usually starts in the Maracas St Joseph valley on the south side of the peak. Go with a guide.
• Las Cuevas: Long sweep of beach with calmer water; parking, bar, food, fishing village. (Take insect repellent: “invisible” sand flies, especially in the rainy season.)
• Fort Abercromby: Cannon mark a headland fort east of Las Cuevas village. Small beach, good for snorkelling.
• Blanchisseuse: The village — called upper, lower and middle — is strung along the rugged coastline from Yarra to Marianne, interspersed with streams, coves and rocky headlands. Fresh fish is brought in daily by open pirogues plying the north-east waters. Weekend homes, guest houses, self-catering apartments and a resort hotel provide accommodation. Enjoy river and forest walks.
• Paria Beach and Waterfall: Leave the paved road at Blanchisseuse, and follow the forested coastal trail to Paria, a twisting route of some 6 km, which takes about 2-3 hours each way. Allow a day to relax at Paria’s deserted beach, river and waterfall. Petit Tacaribe, beyond Paria, is a small eco-resort of bamboo and cedar cabanas overlooking a bay where leatherback turtles nest. Consult tour operators and eco-guides for more information about hikes, accommodation and ocean kayaking.
• Brasso Seco: Mountain village off the Blanchisseuse–Arima Road clustered around a church, school, recreation club and converted cocoa houses. Famous for parang music, cocoa and coffee. Good base for exploring the Northern Range.
• Asa Wright Nature Centre and Lodge: Nestled at the head of the Arima valley, this is birdwatchers’ paradise, and a conservation and study centre for professional and amateur naturalists. Most accessible colony of oilbirds. Forest and river trails, well-informed guides. Lovely old estate house, large verandah, 24 rooms, excellent restaurant specialising in local cuisine.
• Arima: Santa Rosa Community of Amerindian descendants resides here. The annual Santa Rosa festival in August features native craft, food and customs. Arima lies midway between the east and west coasts, with market, velodrome, shopping, industrial sites.

East-west corridor

The main east-west roadway runs from Port of Spain along the southern edge of the Northern Range to the west coast at Matura and Manzanilla. Villages and towns along the route have merged into one continuous urban chain through San Juan, St Joseph, St Augustine, Tunapuna, Tacarigua, to Arima. Further east, Valencia, Sangre Grande, and Matura are still discrete townships. Rivers running off the Northern Range watershed flow east and west.

• Angostura distillery: Tour the rum factory and home of world-famous Angostura Bitters. Tours at 8:30 am and 1 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• Maracas Waterfall: At 91 metres, Trinidad’s highest fall cascades off the upper reaches of the Maracas St Joseph valley into a pool. Popular with nature lovers and picnickers, it is also a sacred place for Hindus, Orishas and Spiritual Baptists.
• Mount St Benedict Church and Monastery: The oldest Benedictine monastery in the Caribbean overlooks St Augustine and the Caroni plains. Nature trails, an art gallery and gift shop. Pax Guest House provides a quiet retreat: simple and comfortable. Afternoon teas are available. 
• Caura Valley: Popular for river limes. Hiking trails.
• Lopinot: A small museum is located on the cocoa estate settled by the Compte de Lopinot, who fled Haiti following the 1791 revolution. He built a tapia estate house, prison and slave quarters. The Compte astride a white horse is said to be seen at full moon. The village has a strong Spanish heritage; parang music.
• Cleaver Woods: This is west of Arima, with a picnic area, nature trails and a small museum of Amerindian artefacts. 
• Heights of Guanapo: Dramatic scenery in the Guanapo Gorge, at La Laja and Sombasson waterfalls. Strenuous hikes, requiring guides.
• Aripo Caves: In the foothills of the island’s highest mountain, Cerro del Aripo, this system of caverns supports large colonies of oilbirds and bats. You will need a guide.
• Hollis Reservoir: North of Valencia, this scenic area is rich in bird and aquatic life. Picnic area and trails. You will need a permit from the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), St Joseph.

North-east

Where Atlantic and Caribbean currents collide in the passage between Trinidad and Tobago, waves crash against the eastern end of Trinidad’s Northern Range, shaping a wild and rugged coast with small sheltered bays and coves. At Sangre Grande, the road forks. The north fork leads to Matura, and around Galera Point to the north coast villages of Toco, Grande Rivière and Matelot. The south fork reaches the coast at Manzanilla and takes you through the cocal — miles of coconut trees bending to the sea — to Mayaro and Guayaguayare with the onshore installations of energy company, BP Limited. At Matura and Grande Rivière, see nesting leatherback turtles. Beaches with Atlantic waves are popular with board surfers.

• Matura: In the shadow of the satellite tracking station, Nature Seekers Inc. provides guides to the protected beach where the leatherback turtles nest.
• Salybia: Calm bathing and picnic spot. In the Matura Forest Reserve, a three-mile trail leads to Salybia Falls.
• Balandra: At the village end, there’s a lagoon-calm beach protected by a long narrow spit of land. Cross over to a more typical windy beach. Enter at the fishing village.
• Toco: Follow the winding coast road to the village. You’ll find craft and tourism projects, and a small folk museum at Toco Composite School. The Toco Lighthouse overlooks Galera Point and affords a view of the rocky coast shaped by wind and ocean currents. There’s good bathing at Salybia and Patience Bay.
• Grande Rivière: Follow the road beyond Toco. Sans Souci draws surfers. Then the road heads inland through forested hills and valleys to Grande Rivière. Cross the river before descending to the beach where leatherback turtles nest. Nature resort Mt Plaisir Hotel offers accommodation on the beach, restaurant, hiking, birdwatching, horse riding, boat trips and snorkelling.
• Matelot: At the end of the road on the north-east coast is this tiny fishing village, offering good river bathing and hiking. Matelot Waterfall is a half-day hike from the village. Go by boat to Madamas, Petit Tacaribe or Paria. 

North coast beaches

• Maracas Bay: Maracas Beach is the most popular beach in North Trinidad, with waves usually less than 1 metre, though the water can get choppy. It is about 35 minutes from Port of Spain. Facilities include a large car park, tables, benches, changing rooms with showers, toilets and lockers. Red flags indicate unsafe bathing areas; lifeguards are on duty daily from 10 am to 6 pm. Vendors provide authentic local food, including the Maracas staple, bake-and-shark. There is a hotel near the beach, if you want to stay overnight.
• Tyrico Bay: Just beyond Maracas, Tyrico Bay offers good sea- and sun-bathing, with waves of less than a metre. It is popular for overnight camping. A lifeguard service is provided from 11 am to 5 pm daily, and there are portable toilets and parking.
• Las Cuevas Bay: Approximately 8 km east of Tyrico and 15 minutes from Maracas is the popular Las Cuevas beach. Las Cuevas, “the caves”, is more sheltered than Maracas and therefore calmer. A snack bar, car park, tables, benches, and changing rooms with showers and toilets are provided, with lifeguard services from 10 am to 6 pm daily. 
• Blanchisseuse: Further along the North Coast Road, the village of Blanchisseuse stretches for some way along the coast. It has become a popular weekend getaway and starting point for hikes, with several holiday homes and guest houses. Three main beaches nestle at the foot of the rain forest, including the weekend favourite L’Anse Mitan opposite a small resort offering lunches and shark-and-bake. Marianne Bay, where the road begins to fizzle out beside the Marianne River, is the largest and most popular beach, with a freshwater lagoon at its eastern end; there is some kayaking here. You can also reach Blanchisseuse (or return to town) via the beautiful Arima-Blanchisseuse Road over the Northern Range.