Trinidad Beaches, Coastline and Water Sports

(Trinidad, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago)

The sunshine, sea and beaches of Trinidad are almost legendary in the world of holidays, and feature everything that you could possibly want during your Caribbean adventure. Trinidad's beaches are certainly in plentiful supply and most are just a short drive or bus ride from the leading resorts, particularly Port of Spain.

Located on the north side of Trinidad, Maracas Bay is home to one of the island's premier beaches and is always very much favoured by holiday makers, who regularly pay a visit to the Maracas Lookout and its famed coconut sellers. Many of the beaches spread around the island are lined with tropical palm trees and rustic thatched huts, and really wouldn't look amiss on Hawaii.


North-West Peninsula
Often extremely close to Port of Spain, beaches on Trinidad's North-West peninsula always tend to be popular and well-developed, with a good choice of facilities, water sports and boat trips to neighbouring islands.

• Bombshell Bay - easterly side of Gasparee Island, measuring just under 50 metres / 164 feet in length
• Chacachacare Island - just a short boat journey from mainland Trinidad, with no less than eight different sandy beaches to choose from
• Chagacabana Beach - situated off the Western Main Roads and offering more than 100 metres / 328 feet of fine sand and wonderful views
• Chagville Beach - to be found at Carenage Bay and directly across from the Chaguaramas Convention Centre, stretching for over 500 metres / 1,640 feet in total
• Macqueripe Beach - lying alongside the Tucker Valley Road and more than 110 metres / 361 feet in length
• Scotland Bay - only possible to reach by a boat, but worth the effort for the tranquility and perfect swimming conditions
• Williams Bay - 1,100 metres / 3,608 feet of beach, located on the easterly side of Carenage Bay and offers plenty of space, even during peak periods

North Coast
The beaches on the North Coast of Trinidad are never far from the Maracas Valley and vary greatly in terms of popularity and the amenities available.

• Blanchisseuse - now a leading weekend destination for many islanders, the beaches of Blanchisseuse are close to a number of guesthouses, secluded bays and areas of rainforest. Marianne Bay is home to the leading beach in the Blanchisseuse area
• Las Cuevas - located next to the very beautiful Las Cuevas Bay and less than 10 km / 6 miles to the east of Tyrico. The beachfront itself is flanked with a series of caves and tends to be especially sheltered. Crystal-clear water is ideal for swimming and snorkelling
• Maracas Bay - featuring the number one beach in northern Trinidad, Maracas Beach, which is famous for its soft white sands and strong waves, lending themselves to surfers. Maracas Beach stretches for roughly 1,800 metres / 5,905 feet and is reached along Saddle Road
• Paria Beach - a quiet and peaceful beach, complete with waterfalls and accessed via a long hiking trail, which takes you over the Marianne River
• Tyrico Beach - lying on the eastern side of Maracas Bay and next to Tyrico Bay, this appealing beach boasts a rather darker, brown-coloured sand and a beachfront of just under 1,000 metres / 3,280 feet. The waves here can be quite sizable at times and often attract surfers of all abilities

North-East Coast
The waters around the North-East Coast of Trinidad can be quite changeable, with the ocean swelling between November and April, when surfers come here in droves to make the very most of the seasonal breaks. Outside of this time, the waters are far calmer and more suitable for swimming. Many of the beaches and resorts here are a little rural in their appearance, and their appeal is simply their lack of development and natural charm

• Balandra Bay - a good choice for those looking for somewhere quiet to swim, relax and on occasion, even body-board
• Grande Rivière - a mixture of river and seafront, and frequented by leatherback turtles, who lay their eggs in the sands each year, between April and August. A series of rainforest hiking trails are close by, along with a selection of accommodation
• Manzanilla Bay - connected by the East Coast Road and the Manzanilla Mayaro Road, the beach at Manzanilla Bay is huge and has approximately 4,000 metres / 13,125 feet of grey sand, meaning that it is always possible to find a space to lie back and soak up the Trinidad and Tobago sunshine
• Matura Beach - a protected spot and famous the island over as a nesting site for the native leatherback turtles, who come here in large numbers during their annual breeding season
• Mayaro Bay - sited on the easterly shoreline of Trinidad, where it is the island's longest beachfront and is reached by using the Mayaro Guayaguayare Road
• Saline Bay - a much-favoured stop-off for those heading to Toco, the beach at Saline Bay has remains relatively quiet and very attractive, although a little rocky for some
• Salybia Bay - a lengthy and beautiful beach, which can suffer from strong winds on occasion
• Sans Souci Bay - a popular bay with waves that are highly suitable for surfing

South-West Coast
Many wonderful beaches are to the found on the South-West Coast of Trinidad and provide a very inviting place to relax, being conveniently close to La Brea and also Pitch Lake. However, it is worth noting that the Orinoco River flowing into the sea here can make the water a little muddy at times.

• Cedros Beach - situated on the far side of the south-westerly peninsula and about as far away as you can possibly get from Port of Spain. Cedros is amongst the widest beaches on the whole of Trinidad and features views stretching as far as Venezuela
• Guapo Beach - reached along the Clifton Hill Road and in close proximity to Point Fortin
• Granville Beach - a beachfront on the south-western peninsula, offering more than 850 metres / 2,789 feet of sand and endless scenic panoramas
• Quinam Beach - on the southerly coastline of Trinidad and connected to the Coora Road. Quinam Beach is around 1,600 metres / 5,250 feet in length
• Vessigny Beach - found on the westerly outskirts of Vessigny Village and just a short drive from La Brea, where it is known for its calm waters