Most Popular Beaches in Trinidad and Tobago
Just off the coast of the South American mainland, they were once part of, Trinidad and Tobago forming the southernmost islands of the Lesser Antilles chain and the most influential republic in the Eastern Caribbean.
They are the most exciting, underexplored, and un-contrived of the Caribbean islands, rich in indigenous culture.
Regionally, Trinidad and Tobago are the richest destinations for eco-tourism, combining the flora and fauna of the Caribbean with the wilder aspect of the South American mainland.
In Trinidad, you can hike through the undisturbed tropical rainforest, take a boat ride through mangrove swamps and watch leatherback turtles nest on remote beaches.
Tobago has glorious beaches and stunning coral reefs. Declared the “Disneyland of diving”, Tobago has the largest brain coral in the world, and sightings of manta rays are common.
North-West Peninsula
This well-developed area of coastline, located within easy reach of the capital, offers a variety of activities ranging from offshore island exploration to watersports.
- Bombshell Bay is located at the eastern end of Gasparee Island. The Beach length is 40m / 131ft.
- Chacachacare – This 900-acre island is a 20-minute boat ride from the mainland and has eight beaches and a saltwater pond.
- Chaguaramas – Chagacabana The location is on the Western Main Road. The Beach length is 125m/410ft.
- Chagville Beach is located in Carenage Bay, opposite the Chaguaramas Convention Centre. It is a sandy man-made beach about 600m / 1/4 mi long.
- Macqueripe Beach is a town on Tucker Valley Road. The Beach length is 117m (384ft).
- Paragrant Beach – Located in Northern Trinidad (Maraval Port of Spain), this beach offers views of Saut D’eau Island, the Caribbean Sea, and the Moka Golf Course.
- Scotland Bay is ideal for swimming but is only accessible by boat.
- Williams Bay is located at the eastern end of Carenage Bay. The Beach length is 1100m / 3/4 mile.
Central and South Trinidad
Central and south Trinidad encompasses an astonishing variety of landscapes.
On the east coast, there are the stunning Manzanilla and Mayaro beaches, both lined with coconut palms and still undiscovered by the tourist trade.
Accommodation in the region is minimal, with most hotels geared more toward oil-industry personnel than tourists.
Host homes are your best bet, and an excellent way of meeting local people; contact the Bed and Breakfast Co-Operative Society.
Restaurants and nightlife are very limited in the region, though there are plenty of fast-food places serving cheap, filling meals, especially Indian and Chinese food, while the many small bars and rum shops provide friendly conversation and a good night out.
In central Trinidad there are a few high-class restaurants at the Grand Bazaar Mall – at the junction of the Uriah Butler and Churchill Roosevelt Highways – Apsara is especially good, serving high-quality Indian food.
North-East Trinidad Coast
Tidal currents approaching from the northeast produce good surf breaks from November to April. The waters are calm and idyllic from May to September, making them ideal for swimming. This area, which is still relatively rural, contains some of Trinidad’s most picturesque villages and seaside spots. The coast between Saline Bay and Toco is frequently rocky; the coast between Toco and Grande Rivière is more accessible.
- Balandra – Balandra Bay is protected by a narrow strip of land, making it ideal for swimming. At the rougher end of the bay, there’s also some good bodysurfing.
- Grande Rivière – The river meets the sea here, so you can swim in both the river and the sea. Leatherback turtles come ashore to lay their eggs during the nesting season (March to August). With a number of hotels, guest houses, and cottages for rent, the village is one of Trinidad’s most visitor-friendly communities. Rainforest hikes can be accompanied by local tour guides.
- Manzanilla- Manzanilla Bay is located on the East Coast and is accessible via Sangre Grande and the Manzanilla-Mayaro Road. A 4000m / 2.5 mi long beach with brownish-grey fine sand that is ideal for sunbathing.
- Matura – This protected beach is a popular nesting location for leatherback turtles.
- Mayaro Bay, on Trinidad’s East Coast, has the island’s longest beach. It is accessible via the Mayaro-Guayaguayare Road.
- Saline Bay is a popular rest stop for those driving up to Toco, but it’s also a good final destination for a picnic and a refreshing dip in the sea.
- Salybia Bay is a long and scenic bay. Windswept with raging breakers.
- Sans Souci Bay is a gently sloping bay with frequently choppy waves. In the winter, surfers flock here.
North Trinidad Coast
To get to these northern beaches, take a drive through the Northern Range and the Maracas Valley.
Blanchisseuse – The once-secluded Blanchisseuse area has become a popular weekend getaway in recent years, with holiday homes and guesthouses sprouting up in increasing numbers. Small bays and beaches nestle at the foot of lush rainforest, including the weekend favorite L’Anse Mitan, which is located across from a small resort that serves lunch and shark-and-bake. Marianne Bay, where the road ends, is the most popular and largest beach, with a freshwater lagoon at its eastern end.
Las Cuevas – Located approximately 8 kilometers (5 miles) east of Tyrico, Las Cuevas Bay is another popular beach. The name “Las Cuevas” is derived from the Spanish word for caves, and this beach has many caves. This bay is more sheltered than Maracas, making it calmer. The water is clear and ideal for swimming, with waves reaching 0.82m / 3ft.
Maracas Bay – The most prevalent beach in the north is Maracas Beach. It is accessible via the Saddle Road through Maraval, or via the Saddle Road from San Juan through Santa Cruz and back onto the North Coast Road. The beach is approximately 1850m / 1 1/4 mi long, with off-white sand. Waves average 1.0m / 3ft in height and are ideal for surfing.
A popular hiking route is Paria Beach and Waterfall. The trail to this deserted beach and relaxing waterfall begins where the North Coast road ends, at the Marianne River suspension bridge. The journey can take between two and three hours each way.
Tyrico – Tyrico Bay is located just east of Maracas Bay and has a 900m / 1/2 mile long beach with fine grayish brown sand. It, too, offers good sea and sunbathing, with waves reaching 0.80m / 3ft.
North of Trinidad
The north of Trinidad is an eighty-odd-kilometer stretch dominated by the Northern Range, a rugged spine boasting the island’s highest peaks, El Cerro del Aripo and El Tucuche.
Trinidad’s most splendid beaches line the coast to the north of the range, with the enduringly popular Maracas Bay melting into the quieter, undeveloped beaches of Blanchisseuse and beyond.
Away from the jungle-smothered hills are some of Trinidad’s most densely populated areas outside of Port of Spain – along the traffic-choked Eastern Main Road (EMR), known locally as the “East-West Corridor”.
The EMR ends abruptly just east of Arima, replaced by the winding minor roads spanning the weather-beaten northeast coast and tip.
This wild and rugged peninsula, jutting some 20km into the Atlantic Ocean, is Trinidad’s best-kept secret. The populace is overwhelmingly friendly, and along the Toco coast on its northern side, leatherback turtles clamber up the wave-battered sandy beaches to lay their eggs.
South-West Trinidad Coast
There are some excellent beaches here for relaxation after visiting Pitch Lake and La Brea. Because of sediment from the Orinoco River, the water can appear muddy at times, discouraging bathing.
- Cedros – Located near the tip of the southwestern peninsula and one of the island’s furthest points from Port of Spain, Cedros has Trinidad’s widest beach at low tide. One of the best places to see the Venezuelan mainland.
- Guapo Beach is accessible via Clifton Hill Road in Point Fortin.
- Granville is located on the peninsula’s southwestern tip. Granville Road provides access. The beach is 900m / 1/2 mile long.
- Quinam Beach is located on the South Coast. The Coora Road and the Penal-Quinam Road provide access. The beach is 1600m / 1 mile long.
- Vessigny – The beach is located west of Vessigny Village, approximately 3 kilometers / 2 miles south of La Brea and Pitch Lake. During the dry season, the water is generally calmer and cleaner.
Beaches in Tobago
An elongated oval of just 41 by 14 kilometers, Tobago features astonishing riches including deserted beaches, pristine coral reefs, and a wealth of lush rainforest – the island really does feel as if it’s the last of the “unspoilt Caribbean”.
Physically, Tobago is breathtaking; the heavy industry is confined to Trinidad, so the beaches are clean and the landscape is left largely to its own devices.
The flat coral and limestone plateau of the southwest – the Lowlands – is the island’s most heavily developed region, with hotels clustered around powder-sand beaches such as Pigeon Point and Mount Irvine, home to excellent surfing.
Speyside and Charlotteville in the remote eastern reaches have some of the finest coral reefs in the southern Caribbean and scuba diving is a burgeoning industry.
The leeward (north) coast has Tobago’s finest beaches; some, like Englishman’s Bay, are regularly deserted, while at Castara, Parlatuvier, and Bloody Bay, you’ll share the sand with local fishermen.
- Canoe Bay Resort is located in Canoe Bay.
- Castara Beach is accessible via North Side Road. The beach is 2400m / 1.5 mi long.
- Englishman’s Bay is located just past Castara Bay on North Side Road. Beach 800m / 1/2 mile
- King’s Bay is located on the Windward Highway. Beach 800m / 1/2 mile
- Man ‘O War Bay is located on Windward Road. 1 mile / 1600m of beach
- Mount Irvine – This beach has approximately 800m / 1/2 mile of sand. It is close to one of Tobago’s largest hotels, the Mt. Irvine Bay Hotel, which has one of the Caribbean’s best golf courses.
- Pigeon Point is located on Tobago’s leeward coast and has over 1600m / 1 mile of white sand. https://youtu.be/Zhg-l4LyTuo