Trinidad and Tobago travel guide
Trinidad and Tobago is a twin-island nation at the southern end of the Caribbean: Trinidad is energetic and diverse, home to one of the world's great carnivals, while Tobago is quieter, with reefs, rainforest and beaches. It suits travellers interested in music, food, birdlife and nature rather than resort-only holidays.
Places worth the trip
Trinidad Carnival
Held on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, with weeks of build-up: calypso and soca shows, steelpan competitions at Panorama, the pre-dawn mud and paint of J'ouvert, and the costumed bands parading through Port of Spain.
Port of Spain
The capital has the Queen's Park Savannah, one of the largest urban parks in the Caribbean, ringed by the ornate Magnificent Seven mansions, the botanic gardens and street food stalls selling doubles, the island's favourite breakfast.
Asa Wright Nature Centre
A former cocoa and coffee estate in the Northern Range rainforest, renowned for hummingbirds, toucans, manakins and a colony of oilbirds, nocturnal birds that navigate by echolocation.
Caroni Swamp
Boat trips at dusk through mangroves to watch scarlet ibis, Trinidad's national bird, fly in to roost, turning the trees red.
Maracas Bay
A popular beach on the north coast, reached by a winding road over the Northern Range, famous for bake and shark, fried shark served in fried bread with sauces and salad.
Pitch Lake
Near La Brea in the south of Trinidad, this is the largest natural deposit of asphalt in the world, and you can walk across parts of its surface with a local guide.
Tobago's reefs and beaches
Pigeon Point has a classic thatched jetty, and boat trips go out to Buccoo Reef and the Nylon Pool, a shallow sandbar in the sea. Speyside, in the north-east, is the place for diving among large brain corals and manta rays.
Main Ridge Forest Reserve
Tobago's rainforest, protected since 1776, with trails to waterfalls and good birding. On the north coast of Trinidad, Grande Riviere beach hosts one of the world's largest leatherback turtle nesting sites, mainly from about March to August.
Interesting facts about Trinidad and Tobago
- The steelpan, made from oil drums, was developed in Trinidad in the 20th century and is often described as the only acoustic instrument invented in that century.
- Tobago's Main Ridge Forest Reserve, designated in 1776, is often cited as the oldest legally protected forest reserve in the Western Hemisphere.
- Angostura bitters, used in cocktails around the world, are produced in Trinidad.
- Trinidad lies just off the coast of Venezuela, separated from the South American mainland by only a narrow strait at its closest point.
- More than a third of the population is of Indian descent, and festivals such as Divali and Phagwah are celebrated alongside Carnival and Christmas.
Best time to visit Trinidad and Tobago
The dry season runs from roughly January to May and is the most popular time to visit, including Carnival in February or early March. The rainy season, from about June to December, brings heavy showers but usually not all-day rain. Trinidad and Tobago lie south of the main hurricane belt, so major hurricanes are rare, although tropical storms can still affect the islands. Leatherback turtle season is from roughly March to August.
Getting around
Trinidad has a busy road network and heavy traffic around Port of Spain at peak hours. Shared 'route taxis' and maxi-taxis (minibuses, colour-coded by area) run on fixed routes; private taxis should be booked through hotels or agreed in advance. Hiring a car gives the most freedom, especially for the north coast and the south. Tobago is reached by a short domestic flight or the inter-island ferry from Port of Spain. On Tobago, hire a car or use taxis to explore the island.
Practical details
- Capital
- Port of Spain
- Currency
- Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TTD)
- Languages
- English
- Plug types
- A, B
- Voltage
- 115 V, 60 Hz
- Emergency
- 999 police, 990 fire, 811 ambulance
- Driving side
- left
- Tipping
- Around 10 to 15 percent in restaurants if service is not already added; tip guides and drivers.
Staying online in Trinidad and Tobago
Mobile coverage is good in Port of Spain, San Fernando and other towns on Trinidad, and around Crown Point and Scarborough on Tobago, with 4G widely available. Coverage can be weaker along the north coast roads, in the Northern Range and in the forest on Tobago. Wi-Fi is available in most hotels and guesthouses. Download offline maps if you are heading to beaches or forest trails. Install an eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land.
Trinidad and Tobago eSIM plans
1 ГБ
1GB eSIM Data for 7 Days for Trinidad and Tobago
Безлимит
Unlimited eSIM Data for 1 Day for Trinidad and Tobago
2 ГБ
2GB eSIM Data for 15 Days for Trinidad and Tobago
3 ГБ
3GB eSIM Data for 30 Days for Trinidad and Tobago
Useful apps
- Google Maps: Driving directions and journey times, with offline maps for the north coast and Tobago.
- WhatsApp: The usual way to book taxis, tours and guesthouses.
- eBird or Merlin Bird ID: Identify the many species at Asa Wright, Caroni and Tobago's forests.
- XE Currency: Converting TT dollars, as US dollars are also sometimes quoted for tours.
Trinidad and Tobago travel FAQs
The main parades take place on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, so the dates move each year, usually falling in February or early March. Book accommodation well in advance.
Yes. Coverage is good in towns on both islands and patchier in remote parts of the north coast and the forest. A travel eSIM gives you local data for maps and messaging without roaming charges.
Ideally both. Trinidad has Carnival, food, culture and birdlife; Tobago has quieter beaches, reefs and rainforest. A short flight or ferry links them.
Doubles (curried chickpeas in fried bread), bake and shark, roti, pelau, and curry crab and dumpling on Tobago. Street food is a big part of daily life.