While many of the hikes lead to
various waterfalls, caves
or mud volcanos, there are many other
hiking trails to explore in Trinidad. To find the locations referred to on this
page, see the Trinidad Map
The Mermaid Pools, also known as the Matura Basin, lie along the Matura
River in north-east Trinidad. In this region the river meanders through lush pine forest
creating numerous pools that are ideal for swimming or simply relaxing alongside. The hike
to the pools is rated as easy and begins along the Toco Main Road in Matura. On entering
the Matura area you drive past the Geriatric Nursing Home for quarter of a mile and then
turn left into Thomas Trace, which is immediately before the Health Center. You then drive
for a further quarter of a mile to the areas for parking the vehicle and the start of the
trail. (Directions provided by Hikersworld). The hike to the pools is along a forest trail
and is approximately two miles which can be covered in 30 minutes. From the start of the
hike it is a very gradual descent down to the the river and then you hike along and in the
river to the pools. While there are numerous pools in this river, there are three pools in
close proximity that have developed the name, the Mermaid Pools. For more pictures of
these pools, visit the Photo Gallery and enter the search term "Mermaid".
The 32 kilometer trail from Blanchisseuse to
Matelot on Trinidad's north coast is considered a jewel. Along the hike one alternates
from unspoiled rainforest to untouched beaches. Starting from Blanchisseuse at the Spring
Bridge you encounter Paria Bay after two to three hours (depending on the hiker's level of
fitness) by trekking along dirt road and forest trail. Paria Bay has a wide white sand
beach that is the nesting site for leatherback turtles. A short trail from the beach of
about 15 minutes duration leads to Paria
waterfall where there is a deep clear pool below the falls surrounded by heliconia,
fringed lilies, and philodendron. If you choose to continue the hike after Paria Bay, the
trail rambles over a succession of small ridges, crossing several small streams, until you
next encounter Gran Tacarib, which is a 1.2 kilometer crescent shaped beach. From Gran
Tacarib the trail continues to the Madamas river and then Madamas Beach. Both Madamas
Beach and Gran Tacarib are nesting sites for Leatherback turtles, during the nesting
season of March to September. After Madamas it is a continuation of the up and down hiking
and crossing small streams and then the Petite Riviere river. The trail continues through
abandoned estate lands with cocoa, coffee, tonka bean, nutmeg and papaya (pawpaw) until
you arrive at the Matelot River and the village of
Matelot.
Beginning at the Spring Bridge in Blanchisseuse
it is an easy hike to the Three Pools on the Marianne River. The trail starts on the right
(eastern side) immediately before the bridge and is a short easy hike that mainly follows
the course of the river. The trails runs through secondary forest and cultivated land. The
Three Pools provide excellent swimming opportunities and there are spaces on the banks for
relaxing between swimming. A visit to these pools can be combined with a visit to the Avocat Waterfall either beginning at the
waterfall and following the river to the pools or first going to the pools and then
continuing up river to the waterfall. If the combined trip is started at the pools, there
is a short but sheer rock face that has to scaled at the last pool in order to continue up
river.
This 3.5 hour, level 4 hike has a scenic forest walk up the gentle
inclines of the Yarra forest combined with a downstream river adventure of swimming
through pools and gorges.
This river is immediately after the village of La
Fillette and at the entrance to Blanchisseuse.
The area around Mount St Benedict
has numerous trails, one of which is called the Birdwatchers Loop and takes approximately
two and a half hours. The trail begins at a building called the Sanctuary which is uphill
from the Top of the Mount parking lot. The initial portion of the trail is uphill and
takes you through a Pine plantation. About 15 minutes after the Pine Plantation there is a
fork in the trail and the right fork is the continuation of the Birdwatchers Loop. After
the fork the trail descends and ends at the steps leading to the car park at St Benet
Hall.
This trail is a good area for viewing raptors (hawks, falcons) as the updrafts in the
area encourage their soaring. Other birds that are common to the area include cuckoos,
doves, orioles and hummingbirds.
The North Post Diego Martin to Macqueripe Chaguaramas hike offers the opportunity for
ridge hiking through natural forest, secondary forest and abandoned agricultural land
interspersed with views of the Caribbean Sea. To get to North Post, you drive to the end
of the Diego Martin Main Road, going past the River Estate Museum and then proceed up
the North Post Road to its end. The area has been called North Post because in the days of
sailing ships there was a signaling station atop the hill at the end of the road. This
station was used to send signals to Port of Spain about ships approaching Trinidad. At
present there is a telecommunications installation at the site of the former signals
station. The hike begins at this installation and there is space for limited vehicle
parking along the roadway.
The initial portion of the hike provides a clear view of the Caribbean Sea, then goes
through a pine forest, followed by semi-agricultural land. The start of the hike is just
below the telecommunications installation and on the mornings of the Great Race (a power
boat race between Trinidad and Tobago usually held in August) the area is used by many to
get a view of the boats as they race along the north coast. For those who simply desire a
short walk in cool natural surroundings with clean air, this first leg of the hike
provides that opportunity with a full view of the Diego Martin Valley and a clear view of
the Caribbean Sea. The total one-way distance covered on this hike is five miles (8
kilometers) which should take approximately 4 hours. The Trinidad and Tobago Field
Naturalists Club Trail Guide rates this hike between moderate to strenuous.
The starting point for this hike is at the southwestern side of the car park above Macqueripe Beach, with the trail leading uphill. The
length of the trail is 2.5 kilometers and provides views of the Tucker
Valley and the North Coast of Trinidad. Along the trail are leks used by the white bearded
manakin to perform their courtship dances.
The Point Gourde penninsula is largely composed of limestone and the flora
is mainly xerophytic as the area has low rainfall. As such the area has mainly deciduous
woodland, merging into dry Tropical forest. Deciduous woodland is characterized by much
more open forest, with a greater proportion of deciduous trees and fewer large trees.
Mosses and epiphytes are not common owing to the greatly reduced rainfall. Prominent trees
in this area include Lonchocarpus punctatus (Savonette), Bursera simaruba (Naked
Indian), Machaerium robinifolium (Saltfish Wood) and Pithecellobium
unguiscati. Also to be seen are several species of cactus and the century plant (Agave
evadens).
To get to the starting point for the hike one travels along the Western
Main Road in Chaguaramas and then turns into the road on the left after "Anchorage
Bay" that leads to the Police Marine Division. Along that road there is a WASA
installation and immediately after is an old road that leads uphill, which is the start of
the hike. Overall this is an easy hike with two legs.
The road proceeds uphill and approximately 1 kilometer from the start there is a
relatively wide trail leading downhill on the left, while the main trail continues uphill.
This left turn is one leg of the hike. Proceeding down the left turn leads to an area that
has more lush vegetation than the rest of the peninsula with a dry gully on the right.
Eventually the trail comes to a fork with the right fork leading after a very short walk
to a sewerage plant. The left fork continues the trail. Along this portion of the hike
there are views of the sea and during the dry season the falling leaves give the feeling
of autumn in northern climates. Eventually the trail descends to an area that is well
suited to recreational rock fishing. A band
of capuchin monkeys sometimes inhabits this area.
The second leg of the hike is to continue uphill after 1 kilometer from the start
instead of turning onto the relatively wide trail leading downhill on the left. Along this
leg various bird species can be seen that include Rufous-tailed Jacamars and Squirrel
Cuckoos. The trail goes past an abandoned military bunker and eventually arrives at the
top where there is a functional cell tower. Across from the cell tower there are concrete
steps that lead to an old military radio mast. Next to the radio mast is an abandoned
building and from within the building it is possible to see several of the offshore islands. There is a clear view of Carrera island and the buildings that
comprise the prison complex.
During the period 1781 to 1941 the La Cuesa valley (also called Tucker valley) in
Chagaramas had several large agricultural estates growing coffe, cocoa, sugar cane,
rubber, tonka beans, coconuts, citrus. On the eastern edge of the area known as Samaan
Park there is a trail that leads to a former estate house. The entrance to the trail has
been sign posted and as you enter you realise that there are actually two trails. A wide
firm trail leads uphill to the ruins of the estate house. The trip to the house is more
like a brisk walk rather than a hike as the distance can be covered in approximately 5
minutes. The area around the house is surprisingly cool given that the forest has
reclaimed this area.
The lower trail winds around the base of the hill and at times skirts the edges of a
dry river bed. This trail leads to a former World War 2 ammunition bunker that is reached
after approximately 12 minutes. Leading away from the bunker is an old unused road that is
strewn with fallen leaves. It is therefore possible to make this into a circuit walk,
using the trail to reach the bunker and then the road to exit. The road leads to the
National Seed Center on Covigne Road, which is a short distance from Samaan Park. Those
who enjoy mountain biking will find this circuit an enjoyable, albeit short ride.
During the late afternoon hours, if you are fortunate, you may see the Capuchin Monkeys
on either the lower or upper trail as they come to feed among the hog plum trees. Even if
you do not see them you may hear them, tittering among the tree tops sounding like
puppies, or crashing from branch to branch.
Landing by boat at Perruquier Bay, the walk to the
lighthouse takes you to the highest point on the island, 818 meters. Built in 1870, the
lighthouse is still working and is identical to the lighthouse
at Galera Point in Toco. The walk to the lighthouse is an uphill hike along a paved
road. Depending upon your fitness level the walk will take between 45 minutes and 75
minutes. During the middle of the day, there is little shade along the road so you are
exposed to the direct rays of the sun. From 1777 to 1810, cotton was was grown on
Chacachacare and along the road you can see many wild cotton plants still producing
cotton.
At the lighthouse you have wonderful views of the island, the Gulf of Para and
Venezuela's Paria Penninsula. You can also see Patos Island, which lies further
west, and was part of Trinidad and Tobago until 1940 when it was ceded to Venezuela in
exchange for Soldado Rock.
The Lopinot valley still retains much of the
natural forest cover and there are several hiking trails through the valley. One trail
leads to Colonado Cave which is named after a runaway slave who used the cave as a hiding
place. The cave has interesting geological formations. There are nine different caves in the valley, with trails leading to each. The Lopinot Tour Office and Visitor Facility
arranges tours through the area and is open from 10.30am to 3pm, Monday, Wednesday and
Friday. Tours are also available on request.
The Guanapo Gorges are an accessible series of gorges that provide an
easy yet exciting journey. Exploring the gorges with their polished rock walls that are
mirrored in the water, requires wading and swimming through crystal clear water. The
best time to visit these gorges is in the dry season as there can be flash flooding during
the rainy season, trapping you in the gorge.
Several routes are used to access these gorges with the easiest route
being via the Eastern Main Road and driving up the Heights of Guanapo Road. This route is
rated as an easy level 3 hike with an average round trip time of 2.5 hours. The second
route which is rated as a challenging level 6 hike is via the Arima-Blanchisseuse Road.
This route which begins on the La Jala South Trace has an average round trip time of 5
hours.
The Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalist Club Trail Guide provides
excellent descriptions of both routes.
Shark River located between Gran Riviere and Matelot is another
popular river exploration hike. Our camping page
provides additional information on Shark River.
The L' Eau Michel (pronounced Lamoshell) hike is focussed
around visiting the L' Eau Michel mud volcano. This hike is approximately one hour's
duration (one-way) along an agricultural dirt road through terrain composed of rolling
hills going through sugar cane fields and teak forest. In the dry season any hiker on this
trail should wear a wide brimmed hat and carry plenty of water (at least three bottles)
because there is no shade. More details on this hike can be found on the Natural
Attractions Page under the L' Eau Michel mud
volcano.
All photographs (unless otherwise stated) are the property of Brian Ramsey. None
of the photographs may be reproduced without the express written consent of Outdoor Business Group Limited and Brian Ramsey.
