Trinidad is a beautiful island nation in the Caribbean known for its vibrant culture, rich history, and stunning natural scenery (including spotting monkeys! → Check out the episode here). Onc we checked out some of Trinidad by land, we then went in search of seeing the beauty of Trinidad on the water! With the help of some local friends we made who took us to some of the best stops to anchor, we have a list of 5 great places to sail and anchor in Trinidad.
1. Scotland Bay
This bay gets very busy on the weekends, but during the weekday, you’ll only find 2-3 other boats anchored here. We filmed the episode above in Scotland Bay and as you’ll see, we had it all to ourselves. With the jungle, mangroves and howler monkeys surrounding you 180°, it makes for a calm and protected anchorage. As the depth doesn’t drop off until a few meters offshore, you can tuck in very close or anchoring stern to the mangroves and maybe get a visit from a monkey on the boat! Many boats chose this spot to depart from after checking out from the country.
2. Chaguaramas Bay
Chaguaramas Bay is a large, sheltered bay located on the northwest coast of Trinidad full anchorages. It is the most popular boating destination on the island, and for good reason. The bay offers calm, clear waters, scenic views, turtles galore, and plenty of history from the abandoned buildings of the leper colony that was located on the island between 1922 to 1984. The best beach for swimming (we think) is Perruguier Bay which also has a path that leads to the lighthouse on the island – a great place to hike to on a clear day.
3. Monos Island
Monos Island is a small island that is immediately visible when entering Trinidad through Bocas del Dragon. It is a popular destination for liming (local word for hanging out), but it is also a great place to sail to. The island has snorkelling, clear waters, and while there are a few places you can anchor here, Turtle Bay was the recommended spot and lived up to it’s namesake!
4. Huevos Island
This is a pretty remote island with only one house located on it. The anchorage we were shown (located at 10°41’59.2″N 61°43’08.6″W) has a private beach when the tide is out and exciting cave activity to watch when the tide starts coming back in! It’d be a good idea to anchor stern to the mangroves in this bay and might only good for a day anchor.
5. Carenage Bay
When island life gets tiring (as if!) or you need to restock the cupboards and water tank, Carenage Bay is ideal. A mooring at TTSA (Trinidad & Tobego Saiing Association) cost us $13USD per night but there are also plenty of places to anchor around the mooring balls too. A bus stop is right outside to get to the shops and a 20min walk will get you to the chandleries and boat yards. It can get a bit rolly if the wind blows from the south east but swell hits bow to stern rather than side to side making it more tenable. And at 7pm like clockwork the wind dies off completely and a glassy calm settles in to the anchorage affording a wonderful night sleep!
(Token 6) Chagauramas
It’d be remiss not to put Chaguramas on this list as it’s the main anchorage you get to when you arrive in Trinidad. It is a busy, somewhat industrial anchorage however (read: lots of boat traffic and accompanying swell) with mooring balls that are dubious at best. Boaties we spoke to here said they’d seen a couple of the moorings break and many of them weren’t maintained. We anchored here for 3 days when we first arrived but if I had of known other places to go (such as those on this list!), I’d have visited them first!
Trinidad offers some of the best sailing opportunities in the Caribbean. From the calm waters of Chaguaramas Bay to the secluded coves and bays of Scotland Bay and Huevos Island, there is no shortage of beautiful places to explore that make a change from other islands in the leeward islands.
