Trinidad and Tobago are the last links in the Lesser Antilles island
chain before it bumps into South America. The southern tip of Trinidad sits
just 7 mi/11 km from the coast of Venezuela. The northern third of Trinidad
contains mountains known as the Northern Range, which include the island's
highest peak, Cerro del Aripo (3,085 ft/941 m). The center and south of the
island are relatively flat, consisting of fertile plains that give way to
mangrove swamps and beaches at the coast. Tobago, 21 mi/32 km northeast of
Trinidad and considerably smaller in size, is dominated by rain-forested hills
in the center of the island, with sandy beaches and lush jungles forming its
perimeter.
Trinidad
Trinidad is alluring, but it's not just another carbon-copy paradise. Culturally
diverse, the island is a melting pot of people of more than 40 nationalities
and ethnic groups, the largest of which are of East Indian and African descent
(each accounting for about 40% of the population). The medley is reflected
in everything from food, design and language to music, dance and humor. At
Carnival time, Trinidad throws the grandest, wildest party in the Caribbean.
Divali, the Hindu festival of lights, draws big crowds, too.
The islands' capital, Port of Spain is a bustling metropolitan hub of approximately
300,000 people. It only holds a small percentage of the country’s array
of diverse tourist attractions. The city’s attractions include a mix
of 19th and 20th century architecture, shopping, botanical gardens, fine dining
and indigenous restaurants and pulsating nightlife.
The pulse of the city is the Brian Lara Promenade, named after the country’s
premiere Cricketing hero. The promenade is flanked by Independence Square
- not really a square at all, but rather two long streets bordering a it.
At Independence Square you can pick up a taxi, find travel agents, banks and
cheap eats.
Tobago
A relatively small island with no large urban center, Tobago can be enjoyed
at a slower pace than its bigger neighbor to the southwest. While Trinidad
is high energy, Tobago is tranquil - a temptress with idyllic white-sand beaches,
shallow offshore reefs and mountain jungles. It's the Caribbean of yesteryear,
where a question about a restaurant's hours is likely to be met with: "We
open any time for you, sweetheart. You come, we take care of you."
The airport town of Crown Point is in the middle of Tobago's main resort area.
It's surrounded by palm-fringed, white-sand beaches with good year-round swimming
and snorkeling. The attractive fishing villages of Speyside and Charlotteville
are interesting out-of-the-way destinations, and the nearby uninhabited islets
of Little Tobago, Goat Island and St Giles Island are ecotourist destinations
with abundant birdlife.
