Port of Spain

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.

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

By plane


The airport is served by:
 * Air Canada (Rouge) - Toronto-Pearson
 * American Airlines - Miami
 * British Airways - London-Gatwick and St. Lucia
 * Caribbean Airlines - Antigua, Barbados, Caracas, Curaçao, Fort Lauderdale, Georgetown–Cheddi Jagan, Grenada, Havana, Kingston–Norman Manley, Miami, Nassau, New York–JFK, Orlando, Paramaribo, St. Lucia–Vigie, St. Maarten, St. Vincent–Argyle, Tobago, Toronto–Pearson
 * Copa Airlines - Panama City
 * JetBlue - Ft. Lauderdale and New York-JFK
 * Surinam Airways - Curaçao and Paramaribo
 * United Airlines - Houston-Intercontinental and Newark
 * WestJet - Toronto-Pearson

From Tobago there are 14 flights a day on Tobago Express, which is operated by Caribbean Airlines. Flights are on a De Havilland Dash 8, cost US$24 each way and last about 20 minutes. Despite the great frequency of flights these can get booked out very easily.

By car
There is an authorized taxi dispatch at the airport. A trip to Port of Spain costs 30 USD (eq. ~205 TT as of July 2019).

By bus
There is a coach from the airport at Piarco weekdays only and it costs 4 TT. 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). The taxi is 5 TT, although you'll have to wait for the vehicle to fill up with 4 passengers (which does not take long), and the minivan is 7 TT - altogether considerably cheaper than the 30 USD for the authorized airport taxi.

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

From Scarborough, Tobago there are hydrofoils that take 2 1/2 hours and conventional ferries that take 5 1/2 hours to Port of Spain. Hydrofoils cost 50 TT one way.

Taxis
Taxis are expensive, with a minimum price for a journey within Port-of-Spain being US$10. 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

 * The beaches.



Do

 * Queen's Park Savannah is 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:

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.



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.

To eateries like - Benihana and many others available at Trincity Mall, 15 mins from Piarco Airport



Drink
Beer is a little expensive, priced 10 TT (1.5 USD) at grocery stores and 15 TT (2.5 USD) at restaurants for a 275mL 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, Trinidians in general favor a sweeter flavor. Some of the local beverages can be found in the list below:
 * Sorrel, a sweet dark pink 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

Splurge
There is now a surfeit of "Splurge" rooms for much of the year. Try bargaining to get rates less than those listed.

Connect
SIM cards are easily available.

Stay safe
Trinidad has a bad reputation (it has a shockingly high murder rate), but if you are sensible and stick to the main areas, you shouldn't have a problem and will find the locals incredibly friendly. Avoid any ostentatious display of wealth, and don't wander down dark backstreets at night on your own, and you shouldn't experience any problems at all.

Wear sunblock, even in early morning or late afternoon, since Trinidad is very close to the equator.

Embassies and High Commissions

 * 🇦🇺 Australia
 * 🇧🇧 Barbados
 * 🇨🇦 Canada
 * 🇨🇳 China
 * 🇫🇷 France
 * 🇬🇾 Guyana
 * 🇳🇱 Netherlands
 * 🇪🇸 Spain
 * 🇸🇷 Suriname
 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
 * 🇺🇸 United States
 * 🇻🇪 Venezuela

Go next

 * Chaguaramas
 * Arima
 * Crown Point (Trinidad and Tobago)