Cruising Trinidad and Tobago
Just off the northeastern coast of South America, the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago is home to incredible culture, music, biodiversity and tropical beauty. Trinidad, the larger island, and the smaller Tobago are blessed with a mix of mountains, plains and palm-lined beaches. The climate is warm and tropical, but the islands are far enough south that they escape the effects of most major hurricanes.
Prior to gaining independence from Great Britain in 1962, Trinidad and Tobago changed hands among Spanish, French, Dutch and other colonial powers more than any other islands in the Caribbean. This contributed to the diverse, international flavor of the islands.
Cruise ships call on the nation’s capital, the city of Port of Spain, on the island of Trinidad. For your day in port, there are lots of wonderful excursions to choose from.
A tour of the city will feature the beautiful Royal Botanic Gardens, where spectacular flowers and palms flourish. The Queen’s Park Savannah, once part of a sugar plantation, has a beautiful rock garden and faces the Magnificent Seven: a group of historic colonial mansions, now in various stages of restoration. You might also venture into the Santa Cruz Valley, filled with coffee and cocoa plantations, and take in panoramic views at Maracas Lookout or Lady Young Lookout.
Trinidad and Tobago are home to more than 400 species of winged creatures, and the Asa Wright Nature Center on Trinidad is a top destination for ornithologists and more casual bird-watchers. Take a guided tour through this 270-acre preserve, where you may encounter the purple honeycreeper, the tufted coquette hummingbird and the tropical mockingbird, as well as deer, ocelots and agoutis.
Enjoy a wonderful “beach day” in Trinidad on Maracas Bay Beach – bring your camera, as the drive from the cruise ship dock is especially scenic. The sandy beach is dotted with swaying palms and surrounded by dramatic, forest-covered cliffs. It’s an ideal place to relax on the sand, play in the water, and enjoy the local delicacy called Bake and Shark: a fried flatbread (the “bake”) stuffed with marinated and fried shark meat, plus lettuce or coleslaw and sauce. Delicious!
Trinidad and Tobago also provides opportunities to snorkel and dive, tour a plantation, get thrills on a zip line and more. Talk with your True Vacation Travel personal cruise expert about everything you can see and do.
[button color=”orange” url=”http://www.truevacay.info/pcc/”]Contact a cruise specialist today![/button]
