One of the most popular attractions in the area is the Asa Wright Nature Centre (tel. 800/426-7781 in the U.S.; www.asawright.org); If you're not a guest of the hotel, you can call and reserve a space for its noonday lunch for $9. It's also possible to reserve one of the daily guided tours of the sanctuary at 10:30am or 1:30pm, which costs $10.
On a peak 330m (1,100 ft.) above Port-of-Spain, Fort George was built by Governor Sir Thomas Hislop in 1804 as a signal station in the days of the sailing ships. Once reached only by hikers, today it's accessible by an asphalt road. From its citadel, you can see the mountains of Venezuela. Locals refer to the climb up the winding road as "traveling up to heaven." The drive is only 16km (10 miles), but to play it safe, allow about 2 hours.
Pointe-à-Pierre Wild Fowl Trust, 42 Sandown Rd., Point Cumana (tel. 868/658-4230, ext. 2512), is a 10-hectare (26-acre) bird sanctuary, 2 hours by car south of Port-of-Spain. The setting is unlikely, near an industrial area of the state-owned Petrotrin oil refinery, with flames spouting from flare stacks in the sky. However, in this seemingly inhospitable clime, wildfowl flourish amid such luxuriant vegetation as crape myrtle, flamboyant soursop and mango trees, even black sage bushes said to be good for high blood pressure. You can spot the yellow-billed jacana, plenty of Muscovies, and, if you're lucky, such endangered species as the toucan or the purple gallinule. Admission is TT$8 (US$1.30) or TT$3 (US45[CE]) for kids under age 12. Hours are Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday by appointment only from 10am to 4pm.
Enhanced by the blue and purple hues of the sky at sunset, clouds of scarlet ibis, the national bird of Trinidad and Tobago, fly in from their feeding grounds to roost at the 104 sq. km (40-sq.-mile) Caroni Bird Sanctuary (tel. 868/645-1305), a big mangrove swamp interlaced with waterways. The setting couldn't be more idyllic, with blue, mauve, and white lilies; oysters growing on mangrove roots; and caimans resting on mudbanks. Visitors are taken on a launch through these swamps to see the birds (bring along insect repellent). The most reliable tour operator is James Meddoo, Bamboo Grove Settlement, 1 Butler Hwy. (tel. 868/662-7356), who has toured the swamps for some 25 years. His 3-hour tour leaves daily at 3pm and costs $10 per person, or $5 for kids. The sanctuary is about a half-hour drive (11km/7 miles) south of Port-of-Spain.
Pitch Lake is on the west coast of Trinidad, with the village of Le Brea on its north shore. To reach it from Port-of-Spain, take the Solomon Hocoy Highway. It's about a 2-hour drive, depending on traffic. One of the wonders of the world, with a surface like elephant skin, the lake is 90m (300 ft.) deep at its center. It's possible to walk on its rough side, but we don't recommend that you proceed far. Legend has it that the lake devoured a tribe of Chayma Amerindians, punishing them for eating hummingbirds in which the souls of their ancestors reposed. The lake was formed millions of years ago, and it's believed that at one time it was a huge mud volcano into which muddy asphaltic oil seeped. Churned up and down by underground gases, the oil and mud eventually formed asphalt. According to legend, Sir Walter Raleigh discovered the lake in 1595 and used the asphalt to caulk his ships. Today, the bitumen mined here is used to pave highways throughout the world. A 193km (120-mile) tour around the lake takes 5 hours. You can tour Pitch Lake on your own, or you can request a guided tour by calling tel. 868/648-7426. Cost is approximately $5 per person. Trinidad & Tobago Tours (tel. 868/628-1051) also runs tours of Pitch Lake for $60 per person. You'll find some bars and restaurants at Le Brea.
The Saddle is a humped pass on a ridge dividing the Maraval and the Santa Cruz valleys. Along this circular run, you'll see luxuriant grapefruit, papaya, cassava, and cocoa trees. Leaving Port-of-Spain by Saddle Road, going past the Trinidad Country Club, you pass through Maraval Village and St. Andrew's Golf Course. The road rises to cross the ridge at the spot from which the Saddle gets its name. After going over the hump, you descend through Santa Cruz Valley (rich with giant bamboo), into San Juan, and back to the capital along Eastern Main Road or Beetham Highway. You'll see panoramic views in every direction; the 29km (18-mile) tour takes about 2 hours.
Nearly all cruise-ship passengers are hauled along Trinidad's "Skyline Highway," the North Coast Road. Starting at the Saddle, it winds for 11km (7 miles) across the Northern Range and down to Maracas Bay. At one point, 30m (100 ft.) above the Caribbean, you'll see on a clear day as far as Venezuela to the west or Tobago in the east, a sweep of some 161km (100 miles).
Most visitors take this route to the beach at Maracas Bay, the most splendid beach on Trinidad. Enclosed by mountains, it has the charm of a Caribbean fantasy: white sands, swaying coconut palms, and crystal-clear water.
