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Another type of natural attraction experienced in Trinidad is waterfalls and these can be found on our Waterfalls Page. The numerous rivers in Trinidad also give rise to other natural attractions and the Other Hikes Page provides information on some of these river systems.

Caverns

Caves occur in all types of rocks and topographic situations and are formed by many different erosion processes. Sea caves are created by wave action, while other caves are caused by piping in unconsolidated rocks. Lava tube caves are formed through volcanic activity. As Lava flows downhill and the surface cools and solidifies, the lava continues to flow under the crust, until the eruption ends. If the liquid lava inside the crust flows out, a hollow tube remains. The most common caves are created by ground waters that dissolve the common soluble rocks—limestone, dolomite, gypsum, and salt. Limestone caves are the most abundant, longest, and deepest.  Limestone dissolves under the action of rainwater and groundwater charged with H₂CO₃ (carbonic acid) and naturally occurring organic acids. The dissolution process produces a distinctive landform known as karst, characterized by sinkholes, sinking streams, and underground drainage.

The Northern Range of Trinidad has extensive beds of limestone known as the Maraval formation that run through the the entire range from Diego Martin to Toco.  As a result there are numerous caverns and cave systems within the Northern Range. These caverns are often the destination for some hikes. One of the reasons for visiting the caves is to see the interesting geological formations of stalactites, stalagmites, columns and curtains found within.

Stalactites are formed by groundwater trickling through cracks in the roofs of such caverns and the water contains dissolved calcium bicarbonate. When a drop of water comes in contact with the air of the cavern, some of the calcium bicarbonate is transformed into calcium carbonate, which is precipitated out of the water solution and forms a ring of calcite on the roof of the cavern. By repetition of this process the length and thickness of the stalactite is increased. Stalactites grow down from the roofs of the caves and tend to be long and thin, with hollow cores. The water moves down the core and precipitates at the bottom, slowly extending the length while keeping the core open for more water to move down.

Stalagmites grow from the floor up and are commonly found beneath stalactites; they are formed from the evaporation of the same drip of water that forms the stalactite. As the water lands on the ground after falling from the stalactite further evaporation takes place leaving calcite on the ground which builds up with each drop. Stalagmites are thicker and shorter than stalactites and have no central hollow core.

Stalactites and Stalagmites are not necessarily paired; when they are, continual elongation of one or both may eventually join them into a column. Curtains of dripstone sometimes form when water drips from the ceiling of a cave along joint planes. The word stalagmite comes from the Greek word stalagma which means "drop" or "drip".

The Caura, Lopinot and Brasso Seco areas are noted for their caves and the hikes to these caves but they are not the only areas with caves that are hiking destinations. The Aripo Caves are a strenuous 3 hour (one way) hike to the largest accessible cave system in Trinidad.  The Oropouche Cavern (also known as the Cumaca Caves) is a popular hiking destination in Cumaca and has a colony of Oilbirds within it. From as early as 1911, these caverns have been visited to see these oilbirds. Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States of America, hiked to this cave in 1911. These caves are on private land and so permission must be obtained from the owners (Mr. Gary Aboud) in order to visit the caves. It may be possible for small groups to obtain permission from the estate manager on the site. There are two routes to this cave, one of which is a strenuous and adventurous 3 hour hike that is almost entirely uphill crossing rivers and streams. The other route is a fairly easy level 3 hike that has mainly downhill portions (on the way to the cave) and takes just over two hours.

The Tamana Caves are in the Central Range just south of Sangre Grande. They are situated at an elevation of 750 feet and require an easy walk uphill to the cave entrance, in addition a visit to this cave system can be combined with a walk to the summit for the spectacular view. For those who do not like difficult treks the caves should be visited in the dry season as the incline can be slippery when wet. The cavern complex has 4 caves with the main cave having a wide 30 foot entrance and the other caves being smaller as you progress inwards. Entering the main cave requires navigating a steep, root-cluttered slope down to the floor. Within the cave are whip scorpions, geckos, six species of frogs, several species of snake and the main inhabitant, bats which hang in thousands from the cathedral ceiling. The highlight of any visit to the Tamana Caves however is to view the exit of between 1 and 1.5 million bats of 11 species each evening between 5.30pm and 7pm. 

The most visited cave, due to its accessibility, are the Gasparee Caves on Gasparee Island.

Gasparee Caves

Gasparee Caves are a fascinating network of underground caves located on the island of Gaspar Grande, which is the closest island to Chagaramas Bay in north-west Trinidad. The island is composed of limestone and a combination of wave action, acidic rainfall and percolating ground-water  has dissolved the limestone to form sculptured caverns, caves and sinkholes. The entire subterranean system is about 90 feet deep and a 1/2 acre in size. Within the cave system are interesting geological formations such as stalactites, stalagmites, pillars, flow stones and fringed curtains. Some of the formations have been given names such as Pulpit Pipe Organ, Lovers and Dinosaur Head because of their shape. The largest and best known of the caves is called the Blue Grotto, which has a crystal clear pool that is 30 feet in diameter and reflects the light entering the cave.

Entry to the caves is only allowed with a registered tour company or with the permission of the Chagaramas Development Authority. From the boat landing at Point Baleine it is a 20 minute uphill walk to the entrance to the Blue Grotto and then a descent of approximately 100 steps into the cave.

Mud Volcanoes

Trinidad is one of the countries that has a preponderance of mud volcanoes. The term is usually given to areas where there is an extrusion of watery mud or clay, accompanied by or sometimes forced by methane gas. Occasionally these volcanoes extrude material with violent force, throwing rocks hundreds of feet into the air. Commonly the activity of a mud volcano is simply a mild surface upwelling of muddy and usually saline water accompanied by gas bubbles.

These volcanoes are sometimes known locally as "bouffe" (french for swelling), "morne" or "yard." The original Amerindian inhabitants of Trinidad called these areas guaico, meaning "mud-stream". When the mud is of the dry type, a conical or volcano shape is usually formed. Wet mud tends to result in depressions.

Some of the mud volcanoes in Trinidad are found at

The Piparo mud volcano (known by some as Morne Roche) is located in South Trinidad, just east of Marabella. It reaches an elevation of 365 feet (150 feet in relation to the surrounding land) and covers some 425 acres. This mud volcanoes usually sits dormant, but occasionally spews mud hundreds of feet into the air. The largest recorded eruption occurred in February 1997. To get to Piparo, take the Guaracara Road from Marabella heading east and turn onto the Piparo Road.

Digity Volcano courtesy the Geological Society of Trinidad and Tobago

The Digity mud volcano has the classical cone shape that is commonly associated with volcanoes. It is approximately 20 feet high with mud and gas being ejected very infrequently (22/2/2003). It appears also that the amount of mud being ejected is directly related to the amount of rainfall, since in the dry season little or no activity is present.

The Digity mud volcano sits atop a small hill on the outskirts of a little village surrounded by agricultural fields on three sides and a river on the other side. It is visible from the roadway and is approximately 7 minutes walk from the road along a former train track (the iron rails are gone but the cross ties are still visible). There are several routes to get to this volcano with one of the easiest routes being along the San Fernando Siparia Erin Road. At Debe village you turn onto Lalbeharry Trace (the Police Post is at the intersection) and drive for 1.8 kilometers. You then reach a four-way intersection with a cell tower on the left and you turn right on to the road opposite the cell tower. You drive for 2.8 kilometers and will reach the small village with the volcano. It is also possible to reach this volcano using Clarke Road in Penal but this route has numerous turns onto other roads.

L' Eau Michel (pronounced Lamoshell) Mud Volcano is located in Penal South Trinidad. To be more precise it is found by going to Penal and then travelling along the Penal Rock Road to Bunsee Trace.  You can drive by car to the end of Bunsee Trace and then the hiking begins. The hike to the volcano is approximately one hour (fitter hikers can make the journey in 40 minutes).  The terrain is composed of rolling hills and the trail is an agricultural dirt road. The trail goes through sugar cane fields and teak forest.

The volcano is of the wet type with the mud rising  in the form of bubbles that then flow down the sides of the cone, trailing away from the center in every direction. The outpourings from this volcano cover a large area. Visit the photo gallery to see more pictures of the volcano and surrounding areas, enter the search term "lamoshell". A short distance from the main cone is a smaller mud volcano.

During the rainy season the main cone occupies a larger area. The best time for visiting the volcano however may be during the dry season as there is no mud to contend with on the trail. A dry season visit however means dealing with the sun which can be merciless. There are no shaded areas along the trail during the dry season as the teak forest loses all its leaves. Any hiker on this trail should wear a wide brimmed hat and carry plenty of water (at least three bottles).

After visiting the L' Eau Michel volcano, one may want to visit Lamoshell beach.

Devil's Woodyard courtesy the Geological Society of Trinidad and Tobago

Devil's Woodyard is probably the best known of Trinidad's mud volcanoes. It is an intermediate type of volcano being wet and dry. Devil's Woodyard contains an active mud volcano emitting through surface cracks warm, bubbling mud that forms into a cone as it cools. For most of the time the cones in this area simply sputter with small spurts of salt mud. It has in the past erupted violently with the first eruption being in 1852. The name Devil's Woodyard arose because early European settlers in Trinidad believed that the sound of the mud bubbling below the surface was the sound of the devil stockpiling wood. Some Hindus consider the Woodyard a sacred spot and worship there. To reach Devil's Woodyard go to Princes Town in South Trinidad and then continue on the Mayaro Road to Indian Walk, turning off onto the Hindustan Road before New Grant.

Lagon Bouffe is one of Trinidad’s largest mud volcanoes being approximately 100 metres wide, covering an area of approximately 2 hectares. The vents that allow the escape of the mud are at the bottom of what was originally a large lake of water. The mudflows have now displaced the water and due to the low clay content have spread over the area, creating a large lake of liquid mud. The Lagon Bouffe therefore differs from other mud volcanoes that, due to their higher clay content, have cones. Individuals should not attempt to walk across or into the mud lake as the mud is extremely soft and so there is the danger of being swallowed by the mud.

The Lagon Bouffe mud volcano is located in the Trinity Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and Reserve. This sanctuary is one of Trinidad's oldest reserves having been classified a nature reserve in 1934. It covers 16,000 acres and is located in Southeast Trinidad, west of Guyaguyare. This sanctuary is home to a variety of wildlife including ocelot, capuchin monkeys, red howler monkeys, deer, manicou (opossums), lappe, matte (tegu lizard - see Photo Gallery), agouti, quenk (collared peccary), tatoo (armadillo), bellbirds, parrots, toucans and pigeons. It has several rivers, streams and waterfalls. The route to the Reserve is the Mayaro-Guyaguyare Road to the end of the road and then turn onto Edwards Trace. An alternate route is the Rio Claro-Guyaguyare Road and then turn onto Cats Hill Road and then onto the Trace into the Reserve. The Reserve is a restricted area and to gain entry permission must be obtained from Petrotrin. Call Petrotrin at 649-5539 before 4 pm from Monday to Friday, or 649-5500/5501 on public holidays.

At Anglais Point the outflow from the mud volcano descends over 700 feet to the beach to form a mud "glacier", with gullies and ridges created by the erosion of rain water. The Anglais Point mud volcano is sometimes referred to as the Beach Camp mud volcano. This volcano is on the South-eastern coastline, in the village of Palo Seco in South Trinidad. You turn onto the Beach Camp Road and drive to the Petrotrin gate and park your vehicle. From the gate there is a footpath to the beach and the mud outflow is on the western section of the beach.

The Erin Mud Volcanoes are part of a chain of mud volcanoes that run from Cedros to Morne Diablo. Among the Erin Group is the volcano with the largest cone of Trinidad's volcanoes. The directions for finding this volcano are taken from the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalist Club Trail Guide. You go along the Siparia-Erin Road past Santa Flora and Palo Seco until you come to Lorensotte South Trace, which is immediately after the 35 kilometer marker. You turn south onto Lorensotte South Trace and proceed to the end of the road. The initial section of the road has asphalt but then becomes a dirt road and in the rainy season it may be necessary to park at the end of the asphalt section. At the end of the road there is a footpath through the forest that runs in a south south west direction. This footpath leads to the volcano, merging with a dry shallow watercourse and then veering out of the watercourse just before a gully. The footpath climbs uphill to the volcano cone with a total distance of approximately 250 meters from the end of the road. For the truly adventurous, this volcano provides the opportunity to take a mud bath.

The Cascadoux Trace, Manzanilla, mud volcano is extremely accessible and can easily be combined with a visit to Mayaro Beach or Manzanilla Beach plus bird watching in the Kernahan area. The volcano is of the classic conical shape with the mud vent at the top of the cone.

Cascadoux Trace is along the Manzanilla/Mayaro Road. For those individuals visiting from north Trinidad, Cascadoux Trace is approximately 5 kilometers after the Nariva River mouth. For those individuals travelling from south Trinidad, Cascadoux Trace is approximately 4 kilometers after the Ortoire River mouth. On turning into Cascadoux Trace, you proceed approximately 1 kilometer along the road and shortly after crossing a bridge, the road begins to rise. At the top of the incline you can park at the side of the road and the volcano is approximately 3 minutes walk on the northern side of the road. The mud volcano is at the rear of some houses and so permission should be requested of the property owners to walk through their property.

The Cascadoux Trace volcano has been linked to the mud volcano off the coast at Point Radix as it lies along the same fault line. The Point Radix mud volcano is visible from the land by going along Point Radix Road and then ascending the hill with the TSTT cellular tower. The Point Radix Road is navigable by car and parallels the Ortoire River as it empties into the sea.

Off shore mud volcanoes while not common in Trinidad are not unusual. The most well known of the off shore mud volcanoes is at Chatam in South Trinidad. The top of the volcano periodically rises above the water to form an offshore island but is eroded by the waves. The first recorded instance was in 1911, when an island emerged amid an explosion and flames, rising about 12 feet above sea level. In 1928, an island again emerged, accompanied by gas explosions, and disappeared within a few weeks. The largest version of the recurring island appeared in 1964, when a 10.5-acre land mass formed over several days, ultimately rising 25 feet above sea level. On May 11 2001 the volcano again created a new island about a mile and a half offshore, in the Columbus Channel. In November 2002 the island off Chatam reappeared but by March 2003 the mud volcano was almost totally eroded below sea level.

Aripo Savannas Scientific Reserve

The Aripo Savannah is the largest remaining natural savannah in Trinidad and is an area of approximately 1,600 hectares. It is located in eastern Trinidad between Valencia and Sangre Grande. It is actually a cluster of savannahs enclosed by marsh forest. In it are found Savannah Serrette trees, melostome shrubs (Trianna, Monkey Bone, Bois lissette), tiny bladderworts, the borders are lined with Moriche Palms. It is a natural savannah determined mainly by soil type. The soil consists of an impervious clay pan of depths of 50 – 100 cm overlain by fine sand. The clay causes water to remain on the surface during the rainy season and run off is horizontal, leaching the soil of its nutrients. Most of the plants are therefore specially adapted to fixing their own nitrogen or are parasitic or insectivorous. Ground orchids are common. Tiny sundew, which is a carnivorous plant with leaves adapted for catching insects are found there. Several species of bladderworts that are aquatic plants with leaves adapted for catching insects and crustaceans are also found in this savannah. Overall more than 200 species of plant life are found in these savannas. In addition More than 250 species of birds have been seen here, and the savannah hawk and fork-tailed palm swift are among common sightings.

This is a protected area and a permit is required for entry. Contact the Forestry Division at 868-645-1203 for permit details.

San Fernando Hill

San Fernando Hill (officially known as Naparima Hill) is a 180 metre (600-foot) hill that rises majestically out of the Naparima Plains. The hill is a landmark in south Trinidad and the city of San Fernando has developed around its flanks. The Amerindians called the hill Anaparima which means "single hill", although some have put forward that it means "place without water". It is believed that the Amerindians used the hill as a place of worship, with members of the Warrahoon tribe (Guaraunos) travelling in canoes from the Orinoco delta in South America, landing at Icacos, Quinam, Erin and Moruga and travelling overland to San Fernando. It is said that up to the 1920's the Guarahoons still travelled from South America to worship on San Fernando Hill and then went to Mount Tamana. According to the Angostura Historical Digest Vol VIII they created quite a stir in San Fernando in the 1920's as they passed naked through the town.

San Fernando Hill is a limestone outcrop of approximately 100 acres. A photograph taken from Palmiste Estate in 1895 shows that the hill was originally dome shaped with a flattened center. Unfortunately for over 200 years the gravel from the hill was quarried and used for road construction, resulting in the hill being reduced in size by approximately one third. Protests by citizens' groups led to a halt to quarrying and the Hill was included in the National Parks and Protected Areas plan of 1980.

San Fernando Hill is now a place for recreation and relaxation. A process of reforestation has been implemented so that natural tree cover is now found on many parts. There are covered areas for picnics and the holding of functions, plus barbecue pits for outdoor cooking. Numerous benches are located on the hill so that you can enjoy the view, which is stupendous. Looking to the north and Northwest can be see the Point Lisas Industrial Estate and the coastline of the Gulf of Paria. The eastern and northeastern views show the Caroni and Naparima Plains plus the rolling hills of the Central Range. As you look to the southwest, the Pitch Lake at La Brea can be seen and in the distance the town of Point Fortin can be discerned.

It is possible to drive to the top of the Hill, however for those who like a more challenging route there are steps which leads from the bottom of the hill at Marryat Street to its summit. For the really adventurous there are several World War Two bunkers on the hill that are not readily accessible to the public. To get to the vehicle entrance to San Fernando Hill you proceed along Circular Road and turn at Soongs Great Wall Restaurant.

Pitch Lake

In 1595 Sir Walter Raleigh while in search of gold visited Trinidad and found an outflow from the Pitch Lake which he used to caulk his ships. It is likely however that he was not the first to discover this natural wonder of the world as the existence of the Pitch Lake was certainly known by the Amerindians. The Chaima Indians (Amerindians) believed that the lake was formed as punishment for their cooking and eating the hummingbirds that they believed held the spirits of their ancestors. In punishment a winged god opened the earth and swallowed the offending village in the pitch. It now believed that the lake is the result of large quantities of asphaltic oil having seeped into a great quantity of mud with great pressures and gases. The lighter portion of this mixture evaporating over the course of centuries, leaving a thick viscous residue.

The Pitch Lake at La Brea in Trinidad is 55 miles (90 kilometers) & 90 minutes from Port of Spain. It is the largest in the world, being approximately 100 acres (40 hectares) and 250 feet (75 metres) deep at the centre. The two other known lakes are at Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela and at the La Brea Tar Pits at Los Angeles, California. The entire region derives its name from the lake which is a Spanish word  meaning tar. Trinidadians however have always referred to tar as "pitch". The "lake" has been mined and its fine asphalt exported since 1859. Some believe that the lake is inexhaustible as a hole dug one day is completely filled by the next day. Although most of the surface is firm there are soft areas and a person can sink completely below the surface. Visitors are free to bathe in the "fountain of youth" which are natural springs, reputed to have healing properties, appear at the center during the rainy season: their sulphuric water is supposed to be good for rheumatism, arthritis, mosquito bites, rashes and skin conditions.