Tunapuna-Piarco: Discover Caura Valley and Culture

Tunapuna-Piarco offers several starting points for planning a trip: Caura Valley and its riverside activities, the history of Mount St. Benedict, and cultural stories from the surrounding area. When looking for a holiday rental, first consider which of these interests you would like to shape your stay.

Caura Valley: A Riverside Escape

Caura Valley is accessible via Caura Royal Road, which branches off Eastern Main Road. Along the winding access road, visitors can picnic or swim in the clear waters of the Caura River. Check local road conditions when planning your visit.

Pool Number 1 and Pool Number 2 are located near the abandoned pump house. They are described as popular spots for a “river lime.” The two numbered pools, along with the opportunities for picnicking and swimming, give Caura Valley several different facets: you can combine time outdoors with a trip to the water.

Mount St. Benedict and Cultural Stories

Mount St. Benedict is home to Benedictine monks. In 1912, three monks from the Benedictine monastery of San Sebastien in Bahia, Brazil, came to the foothills of Trinidad’s Northern Range under the leadership of Abbot Dom Mayeul de Caigny and settled there. This history gives the place a distinct historical connection, quite different from the natural experiences of Caura Valley.

The surrounding area of Lopinot is also associated with a cultural history. Spanish-speaking workers employed on the area’s cocoa fields gave rise to cultural figures such as Papa Ghun. He is described as one of the early parang performers. For those interested in regional culture, this offers another historical perspective alongside the Benedictine tradition.

These different themes can help guide your accommodation choice: are rivers and outdoor activities your priority, or are you especially interested in history and culture? This way, you can tailor your holiday rental search to your own travel interests without treating the different places and experiences as one and the same.

Trinidad and Tobago at a Glance

The wider destination of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, northeast of Venezuela and south of Grenada. It covers 5,128 square kilometres and consists of the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, as well as 21 smaller islands. Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two main islands. This overview helps distinguish the islands and their respective natural and cultural features.

On Tobago, the Main Ridge Forest Reserve encompasses 3,958 hectares of tropical rainforest. Its forest types include lower montane rain forest, lowland rain forest and xerophytic rain forest. Main Ridge runs lengthwise across about two-thirds of Tobago; the British established the reserve in 1776. Its rainforest provides a habitat for the rare white-tailed sabrewing, which is endemic to Tobago.

Buccoo Reef is also part of the wider destination and can be explored by glass-bottom boat or on a dive. Tropical fish live on the reef, which features colourful corals. Check the current availability of a tour operator before planning a trip.

On Trinidad, the major street parade of Trinidad Carnival takes place on Carnival Monday and Carnival Tuesday; the dates change every year. The pre-Carnival season there also includes Steelpan Limes and competitions leading up to Panorama. Pan-yard limes are organised seasonally and locally. Visitors can chat with locals and listen to live steelpan music.

Explore More Areas

More areas of Tunapuna-Piarco: Piarco, Saint Augustine, Trincity, Arouca, Kelly Village, Saint Joseph and Tacarigua.

Discover more destinations: Western Tobago.

Return to the main travel overview: Trinidad and Tobago.