The most southerly Caribbean island country, Trinidad & Tobago nestles just off the coast of Venezuela.
Trinidad’s most famous of all for its much copied but never bettered Mardi Gras Carnival, big north coast beaches, wilderness wetlands and ancient rainforests, water sports and laid back atmosphere. Tiny by comparison to its near neighbour, you can drive across Tobago in under three hours. But if you’re looking for complete escapism, uncrowded coasts and easy charm, pretty resorts and intriguing history; everything you want is right here – you can always go visit Trinidad for the day.
Trinidad & Tobago is furthest south in the Caribbean archipelago with average temperatures of 27˚ year round.
The country sits outside the Caribbean ‘hurricane belt’ and is known for safe sailing waters.
Dry Season runs from December to May and is most expensive.
June to December is the Wet Season but there’s relatively little rainfall and it’s more than balanced by low costs during UK school holidays.
Trinidad’s spectacular Mardi Gras Carnival takes place in the lead up to Ash Wednesday every year, the island is never busier but it’s a once in a lifetime experience for older kids and teenagers.
Trinidad is best known for outdoor adventure holidays and Tobago is the classic Caribbean beach break.
The most commonly spoken language in Trinidad & Tobago is English.
The country’s capital sits in the far north west, so close to Venezuala you can see the coast on a clear day. This is the heartland of Trinidad’s legendary carnival and even when it’s not celebrating the actual event, there’s always a faint trace of the spirit in bustling districts like Woodbrook and round Queen’s Park Savannah at the end of a long, hot working day. Port of Spain isn’t too touristy, it’s a real live Caribbean city but still has the island’s biggest range of resorts and international holiday hotels in the centre or within easy travelling distance on the north coast.
Only 20 minutes by air from Trinidad, Tobago couldn’t be more different from its fellow countryman. Heritage marine parks, huge coral reefs, paradise beaches and peaceful nature are the main attraction here. But the holiday vibe’s strong and resorts round Crown Point are plenty lively and good fun with kids.
It’s a 20 minute flight from Trinidad to Tobago and shuttle services are regular and inexpensive. Alternatively there are fast catamaran ferries between Port of Spain and Scarborough, but crossings can be a bit choppy. The public transport on both islands is fairly infrequent and journeys tend to be long. Car hire is best if you want to explore independently. Most tours and activity operators build transport to and from resorts into their ticket prices.