Port of Spain.
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Overview

Port of Spain, on the northwest coast of Trinidad island, is the capital city of Trinidad and Tobago. The city is famous for its carnival, second only to that of Rio in importance but preferred by many because of its perceptions of being safer.

A bustling and friendly city, Port of Spain is a great place to spend a couple of days and is the hub for the Trinidad's famous carnival. It has been the capital since 1757 and is the main administrative center, although not the largest town.

The main shopping area is between Frederick Street and Charlotte Street, running south to Independence Square (Brian Lara Promenade). As well as the bricks-and-mortar shops, there are numerous stalls on the street selling everything from fruit to CDs.

In the evening Independence Square is full of locals liming — hanging around, chatting to their friends and sampling food from the stalls scattered throughout. Wandering through here is a great way to get a feel for what Trinidad is about.

Understand

Climate Port of Spain enjoys warm temperatures all year round. It is slightly cooler in January and February.

Get in

From Tobago there are 14 flights a day on Tobago Express, which is operated by Caribbean Airlines. Despite the great frequency of flights these can get booked out very easily.

The bus stop and taxi stop are located curb side outside the Arrivals area.

Public bus service operates from 6AM to 8PM (Nov 2024), arriving at quarter past the hour at the bus stop. Bus tickets can be purchased at the Piarco Souvenir shop located in the Atrium.

By car There is an authorized taxi dispatch at the airport.

The coach will drop you off at City Gate.

When the coach is not running and you aren't carrying massive luggage, you can take a local taxi with a licence plate starting with H at the taxi rank (100 metres to the right of the arrival hall exit) towards what's called "The Junction" and, there, hail a frequently running red-white minivan (Maxi Taxi), which also will drop you off at City Gate (South Quay bus terminal).

By boat There is a Wednesday ferry from Venezuela. See Trinidad.

From Scarborough, Tobago there are hydrofoils that take 2½ hours and conventional ferries that take 5½ hours to Port of Spain.

Get around

There are no standard color-coded markings for taxis in Port-of-Spain, e.g., yellow taxis, and by all appearance resembles private motor vehicles. However, all vehicles for hire will have a license plate starting with H instead and you should not be surprised if one stop by and ask if you want a ride. Remember to check if it is a taxi! It is preferable to contact the taxis through your hotel.

During the day, in the central areas, you can move easily even on foot. At dusk, it is recommended for tourists not to venture alone on foot.

By public transportation The urban area is covered by a bus service. It is necessary to have the travel document before boarding because the drivers do not accept cash, much less credit cards.

See

Carnival. Taking place in the days before Lent it is a mixture of parades and music and calypso competitions. Participants wear elaborate costumes and parade dancing through the streets to the sounds of a steel band or a soca band. Each year on Carnival Sunday a competition is held to award the King and Queen of Carnival. On Carnival Monday and Shrove Tuesday, the bands compete to win the "Band of the Year" title. Everyone takes part, from young to old and rich to poor. In the weeks before the events the Steel Bands rehearse nightly at their Pan Yards. There may be several in one stretch of road, such as Western Main, and you can buy a beer and watch the rehearsals.

International Waterfront Centre. A major skyscraper development designed to revitalise the city's waterfront with the Hyatt Regency Trinidad at its heart. This is the only section of Port of Spain's waterfront which is accessible to the public.

National Academy for Performing Arts. Opened at the end of 2009, the construction of this building led to numerous allegations of corruption. The design is supposed to represent Trinidad's national flower but it has been much criticised as being out of keeping with the environment. "Copulating slugs" was perhaps one of the politer descriptions.

Emperor Valley Zoo. Trinidad and Tobago's only zoo, features a wide variety of tropical species including lions, tigers, monkeys, birds and fish. It is in the capital, Port of Spain. The Botanical Gardens contains many species of plants and is right next to the zoo, close to the President's house.

Royal Botanic Gardens. Established in 1818, these are one of the oldest gardens in the Caribbean. 700 trees of which 13% are indigenous to Trinidad and Tobago.

Royal Victoria Institute. This is the National Museum and Art Gallery of Trinidad and Tobago. Founded in 1892, this striking colonial building houses an extensive collection of artifacts and antiques from throughout Trinidad's history.

The Magnificent Seven Houses. . These seven buildings from colonial times have very interesting histories. Only one, , is still a private residence. The biggest, , is a major secondary school. , a mansion built like Balmoral Castle in Scotland, was built on the money of an entrepreneur in the coconut water business called Conrad Frederick Stollmeyer.

Knowsley Building. Built in 1902 by a wealthy merchant, Mr. William Gordon, this house features a veranda made of white marble, hand hewn yellow limestone bricks, and a staircase constructed from wood from Guyana.

Woodford Square. This central square overlooks the courthouse, the "Red House", the seat of Parliament and the Anglican church dedicated to the Holy Trinity. On the southwest side of the square is the national library building.

Independence Square. Some of the tallest buildings in the country, the and the are located on the southern side of Independence Square.

Caroni Bird Sanctuary. This swamp is a must-see for bird watchers. Several indigenous species of bird nest in the bird sanctuary, including one of the national birds, the Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber). Tours generally take place during dusk as the Scarlet Ibis returns to the swamp to roost. It is also a good idea to wear thick clothing (jeans and a jacket/sweater) as the mosquitoes in the bird sanctuary are especially vicious and are capable of biting through the thickest of clothing.

Do

Queen's Park Savannah. A large park in the middle of the city. It has a circumference of 3.5 km and is a popular spot around sunset for joggers and walkers. With one-way traffic circulating clockwise, it claims to be the world's largest roundabout or traffic circle.

Cricket at Queen's Park Oval. Opened in 1896 and rebuilt in 2006 after an earthquake, this has a capacity of 20,000. It hosts the combined Windies Test team, the Trinidad & Tobago island team, and Trinbago Knight Riders in the T20 Caribbean Premier League.

Bird watching at Asa Wright. The ecolodge is about 1 hour drive from Port-of-Spain with the latter half on narrow roads.

Eat

There are many types of traditional and Trinidad food that must be tried, some of these include: Roti Doubles Bake and Shark Chow (e.g. Mango/Pineapple Chow) West Indian Style Curry Jerk Chicken/Fish Budget

Western Main Highway at St James is a popular night spot with a long stretch of bars and eateries. There are also many food stalls selling Rotis, Doubles, and other local delicacies.

A local flour and chick peas delicacy called Doubles (available all over the island, even just outside the airport). There are several stalls on Independence Square can get these for 5TT each - make sure to get their early though as they tend to sell out pretty quickly.

Royal Castle. The totally local fast food chain

Mid-range Ariapita Avenue, in the Woodbrook neighborhood of Port-of-Spain, is a popular dining and nightlife area with a good selection of mid-range restaurants.

Benihana and many others available at Trincity Mall, 15 min from Piarco Airport

Drink

Beer is a little expensive, priced 10 TT at grocery stores and 15 TT at restaurants for a 275 mL bottle. The local brew consist of Carib and Stag (lager). Rum is widely available and the local distiller Angostura is among one of the top producers in the region with its Royal Oak line.

For non-alcoholic drinks, Trinidadians in general favor a sweeter flavor. Some of the local beverages can be found in the list below: Sorrel, a sweet dark red beverage made from the Roselle plant Mauby, a bitter sweet drink with a herbal flavor made from the bark of a local tree Peanut Punch, a drink made from peanut butter, milk and sugar

Sleep

The Little Inn. offers a cozy home like feel.

Splurge There is now a surfeit of "Splurge" rooms for much of the year.

Courtyard by Marriott Port of Spain. Spacious accommodation, free high-speed Internet, a full-service restaurant and other convenient amenities and services.

Crowne Plaza. New waterfront hotel with revolving restaurant.

Hilton Trinidad & Conference Center. The hotel boasts hosting President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the whole US delegation during the 2009 Summit of the Americas. Despite the renovation, however, maintenance leaves much to be desired. Built on a hillside overlooking the Savannah, you enter from the top floor. Perversely, the high numbered floors are actually lower down, which takes a bit of getting used to. Great views of POS from the hotel's many terraces.

Hyatt Regency Trinidad. Hotel with 428 rooms.

Kapok Hotel. Almost a Port of Spain tradition.