Caroni Swamp
Just south of Port of Spain is Caroni Swamp - a RAMSAR wetland of international important and a 'must' for anyone interested in wildlife. In the late afternoon you take a flat-bottomed boat through the mangrove to see lines of scarlet ibis, herons and egrets coming to roost. The intense red plumage of the scarlet ibis, Trinidad's national bird, is astonishingly vivid, its colour burning itself into the memory. You can also expect to see fiddler crabs, oysters, four-eyed fish, tree boa and spectacled caiman.
Waterloo
Driving south from Port of Spain, the scenery changes as you approach Waterloo through avenues of tall palms between fields of sugar cane and grazing water buffalo. The Temple-in-the-Sea at Waterloo is a white-domed Hindu temple built on tidal flats and reached by a pier. Its prayer flags and funeral pyres are a reminder of the rich cultural mix of Trinidadian society.
Point-a-Pierre
Continuing south on the west coast you reach Point-a-Pierre Wild Fowl Trust, an attractive park where you can stroll by a small lake with scarlet ibis and other waterbirds, and a great variety of trees and plants. It's a photographer's delight, particularly when the lotus and water lilies are in bloom.
San Fernando
Trinidad's second city is a maze of rough streets below San Fernando Hill, which offers great all round views.