18 Best Sights in Trinidad and Tobago

Looking very much like a frame from a classic pirate movie, this steep, mile-long crescent almost always has calm waters and backs onto unspoiled tropical rain forest. The beach is usually deserted, but there are a few shacks offering food, drink, and souvenirs. Amenities: food and drink; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; solitude; walking.

This stretch of peach-color sand has a cove and a fishing village at one end. It's the local favorite, so it can get crowded on weekends. The government is constantly trying to upgrade the facilities (with limited success), so the areas around the beach are less than pristine. Lifeguards will guide you away from strong currents. Parking sites are ample, and there are snack bars selling the famous bake and shark, a must-try. Take the winding North Coast Road from Maraval (it intersects with Long Circular Road right next to KFC Maraval) over the Northern Range; the beach is about 7 miles (11 km) from Maraval. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; toilets. Best for: partiers; swimming; walking.

Often featured in Tobago travel brochures, this stunning, white-sand beach is lined with swaying coconut trees. Although it's public, there's an admission fee. You'll find changing facilities and food stalls nearby. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets. Best for: partiers; swimming.

On the northeast coast, this beige-sand beach—popular with locals (and a bit noisy) on weekends—is sheltered by a rocky outcropping and is a favorite of bodysurfers. Much of the beach is also suitable for swimming. Take the Toco Main Road from the Valencia Road, and turn off at the signs indicating Balandra (just after Salybia). Amenities: lifeguards. Best for: surfing; swimming.

This dark-sand beach was the setting for the films Swiss Family Robinson and Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison. If you are not a guest at the Blue Haven Hotel, access is down a track next door to the hotel. The bathroom and changing facilities are for hotel guests only. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: swimming; walking.

This narrow, palm-fringed beach is an ideal spot for a romantic picnic. A lagoon and river at its east end allow you to swim in fresh water, but beware of floating logs in the river, as they sometimes contain mites that can cause a body rash (called bete rouge locally). You can haggle with local fishermen to take you out in their boats to explore the coast. This beach is about 14 miles (23 km) after Maracas; just keep driving along the road until you pass the Arima turnoff. The coastal and rain-forest views here are spectacular. Amenities: none. Best for: swimming; walking.

On Trinidad's rugged northeast coast, Grande Riviere is well worth the drive. The swimming is good, and several nearby guesthouses offer refreshments. The main here, though, are the turtles. Every year, up to 500 giant leatherbacks a night come onto the beach to lay their eggs. If you're here at night, run your hand through the sand to make it glow—a phenomenon caused by bioluminescent plankton. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: swimming; walking.

This bay near Ft. Bennett has clear, tranquil waters. Along the sandy beach—one of Tobago's longest—you can find several hotels. A marina attracts the yachting crowd. Amenities: none. Best for: swimming; walking.

Surrounded by steep green hills, this is the prettiest swimming site off the road from Scarborough to Speyside. The crescent beach is marked by a sign about halfway between the two towns. Just before you reach the bay, there's a bridge with an unmarked turnoff that leads to a parking lot; beyond that, a landscaped path leads to a waterfall with a rocky pool. Locals will likely offer to guide you to the top of the falls; however, you may find the climb not worth the effort. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; showers. Best for: swimming; walking.

This narrow, picturesque strip on North Coast Road is named for the series of partially submerged and explorable caves that ring the beach. A food stand offers tasty snacks, and vendors hawk fruit across the road. You can also buy fresh fish and lobster from the depot near the beach. You have to park your car in the small lot and walk down a few steps to get to the beach, so be sure to take everything from the car (it will be out of sight once you are on the beach). There are basic changing and toilet facilities. It's less crowded here than at nearby Maracas Bay and seemingly serene, although, as at Maracas, the current can be treacherous. Amenities: food and drink; parking; toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

You have to hire a local to bring you to this tiny isolated retreat of pink sand sheltered by steep cliffs. Ask one of the fishermen in Charlotteville to arrange a ride for you, but be sure to haggle. It should cost no more than TT$150 per person, round-trip. Amenities: none. Best for: snorkeling; solitude.

You can find picnic facilities and a pretty view of the Atlantic here, though the water is occasionally muddied by the outflow of Venezuela's Orinoco River. The Cocal Road running the length of this beautiful beach is lined with coconut trees. This is where many well-heeled Trinis have vacation houses. The Nariva River, which enters the sea just south of this beach and the surrounding Nariva Swamp, is home to the manatee and other rare species, including the much-maligned anaconda. To get here take the Mayaro turnoff at the town of Sangre Grande. Manzanilla is where this road first meets the coast. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards. Best for: sunrise; walking.

The beach across the street from the Mt. Irvine Bay Hotel has great surfing in July and August, and the snorkeling is excellent, too. It's also ideal for windsurfing in January and April. There are picnic tables surrounded by painted concrete pagodas and a snack bar. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; surfing; swimming; windsurfing.

On the north side of the island, the beach is best approached via the road from Roxborough. It's a classic Caribbean crescent, a scene peopled by villagers and fishermen. Local food and souvenir shops are literally steps from the sand, as the village fronts the beach. The local fishermen bringing in their catch is a photo opportunity not to be missed. Amenities: none. Best for: swimming.

This gentle beach has shallows and plenty of shade—perfect for swimming. Snack vendors abound in the vicinity. Like many of the beaches on the northeast coast, this one is packed with people and music trucks blaring soca and reggae on weekends. It's off the Toco Main Road, just after the town of Matura. Amenities: food and drink; parking; toilets. Best for: partiers; swimming; walking.

Across the street (a small secondary road) from the Grafton Beach Resort, this gorgeous stretch of sand is better for sunbathing than for swimming, as the currents are strong and there no lifeguards. You can relax with a cocktail from the hotel beach bar and wait for one of the locals to come by offering handmade souvenirs. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: walking.

Boats depart for Buccoo Reef from this beach, which is little more than a small sandy cove between two rocky breakwaters. The food stands here, however, are amazing. The tourist board has licensed several huts to local ladies, who sell roti, pelau, curry crab, and dumplings. There are also local sweets and souvenirs ranging from carvings to soap. It's near the airport; just walk around the Crown Point Hotel to the beach entrance. There's also free parking just off Milford Road. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets. Best for: partiers; swimming.

This beach is named for the leatherback turtles that lay their eggs here at night between February and June. (If you're very quiet, you can watch; the turtles don't seem to mind.) It's 8 miles (13 km) from the airport between Black Rock and Plymouth. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; walking.