Does this not look like heaven on Earth?
Beautiful Las Cuevas Beach in northern Trinidad certainly looks that way…. not so much on a Sunday though! We should have had a clue!
After winding through San Juan, Santa Cruz, and the Northern Mountains, we arrived at a lookout point to gawk and see what local snack items we could find to nibble at. This is the same lookout from my last post. Nested within these mountains are the majestic beaches of Maracas and Las Cuevas, which are only within five or so miles from each other, as well as several other smaller beaches.
On this day, it also hides hide the unpleasantry we will soon encounter.
Driving through the bustling streets of San Juan.
At the lookout point, Andy bought mango chow. Last week he got pickled pommecythere or golden apple. He loves the bitter/sour/sweet stuff so very popular here in Trinidad.
Me? I love sweets, hold the bitter/sour. I got a small piece of locally made coconut fudge. 😋
- By the way, I just discovered something delightful: an online Caribbean Dictionary. Too cool! This will come in handy when it comes to the many Trini-unique terms I hear all the time.
Stopping to get those snacks was not easy. The place was crowded with so many cars and small buses it was difficult to get in and out of the place. This is the afore mentioned clue I was talking about!
On Saturday, a day before this, this is how things went:
“Let’s go to beach tomorrow.”
“Ok, but it’s Sunday. Won’t it be busy?”
“I guess we’ll find out.”
We did indeed!
Our plan was to drive to Las Cuevas, hang out there a bit, take photos, and then get back to Maracas. Last week Andy got a shark sandwich and was dying to have another.
When we drove past Maracas it looked so busy and crowded! A COVID nightmare, for one thing, plus we didn’t even see any parking available.
So, we made our way to Las Cuevas. There were other small beaches along the way, but all looked packed with people.
- Little boats at Las Cuevas. I thought they were rentals but as my Trini friend Fay over at In my own words… at pointed out, they are more likely fishermen’s boats… oh the life and times of a Trini fisherman, sounds rather intriguing!
Las Cuevas was so beautiful! I loved it so much, but it too was pretty crowded. We parked in a temporary spot so that we could at least take photos but didn’t want to stay parked there for too long.
By the time we got back to Maracas things had gotten worse! Police were directing people away as the parking lots were already full and lines of cars were waiting.
Long story short. No beach fun. No shark sandwich. Andy was irked bigtime so we decided to get the heck out! I don’t do crowds, and Andy does them even worse.
As we were leaving, we passed swarms of more vehicles and small buses trying to get into Maracas. As disappointing as it was, we had made the right decision.
Lesson learned: Don’t come to a popular Trini beach on a Sunday! Just don’t do it!
Well, at least I got some lovely photos of Las Cuevas. That alone will make a photography lover happy.
Hope everyone has a great week!
The Sunstone Journal 
Beautiful ❤️
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Thank you! 🙂
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Hey JoAnn, hope all is well, haven’t heard from you in a while.
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Ah, you’re so sweet. Just been taking a few breaks and having mental health days and all that! Feeling better now. Thank you for checking up on me. I really appreciate it!
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Great! Was worried when I didn’t see a post past a week – breaks are essential. Take as much as you need.
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Good Lord, JoAnn, extraordinary photos! The boats in Las Cuevas inlet is the very best of all, though. Extraordinary! Seriously, if someone from the Tourist Board doesn’t use that photo, he needs to start circulating his resume.
Then, you enjoyed coconut fudge too? Way to salvage what could have been a bad day. With the fudge, in fact, the day now is memorable, and with your pictures, it’s immortal.
Oh, I also appreciate your shout-out to the Caribbean Dictionary. Believe it or not, when I came across a Trini recipe I might try, the description included the word “liming,” and a definition for those of us not fortunate enough to be where you are.
Cast your mind back to Las Cuevas, and consider what you left behind. For us, the last week brought a foot of snow, ice storms and temps well below zero (F). Pick one? How about D) All of the Above?
All this, and you savored coconut fudge, too? Welcome home, JoAnn.
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I’m actually feeling quite guilty now as all my northern friends are busy battling it out with the cold. I’m sure February would get a lot of people’s vote for being the worst winter month to get through. It’s easy to forget how blessed I am to be here! Especially considering I had my recent stark reminder of the glory of winter.
Well, luckily you have your excellent culinary skills to help get you through. Great food makes a great solace.
Oh yes, the Trini dialect is a very rich and unique one. So many words and terms to learn. Hopefully the recipe will turn out and it will become a feature!
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Sure, it makes sense most feel that way about February, as it’s when winter is at its most petulant. I see it as the last hurdle, though, as things start improving in March.
You came to mind, JoAnn, for the Trini recipe, as it involves steak! The artist who designed the fabric also is in T&T, and she asked me to send her a pic of the project. With pleasure, though it probably will be a couple years or so.
And please, never feel bad about your current tropical warmup. You did your time, spending the first X years of your life not too far from the Canadian border. Even when you moved to Jersey, I know from experience November through March in the state is snowbound.
You paid your dues, JoAnn, and then some. Just keep sending us those great pictures, OK?
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Yes, I did pay my dues, thanks for that! And yes, all those places are cold. Idaho gets colder and more snow of course, as it is so near Canada, lol. That could be great slogan for Northern America: “Hey, at least it’s not Canada!” I think that’s an unofficial slogan already actually. Not much effort to make it official.
Two years? You are in incredibly patient person! By the way, isn’t this your year to visit Disney World? Or is that getting pushed back with this continuous COVID mess.
Petulant. What a great word that doesn’t get used near enough!
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Yeah, I’m waiting a while until some of these COVID-related cutbacks are reversed. Of course, if the Bobs (Chapek and Iger) decide to extend Draconia indefinitely, it will influence the ultimate decision.
Besides, I want to hold out until Brightline (the high-speed rail) is completed between the airport and the Springs.
Meanwhile, California Grill and Jaleo still beckon my very active foodie, and the Tommy Bahama store (among others) calls to my latent and not quite exorcised prepster!
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A beautiful beach, JoAnn! And it looks so much warmer there than here at our beaches … the top today was 6 degrees Celsius (plus though), but strong wind, which makes it seem colder.
You will go again another day, a NOT Sunday … 🙂
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No not Sunday!
6 degrees? Yikes. I do wish I could send all of my cold weather friends some warm weather! Having been a long time northerner I know what that’s like too well. By the time February rolls around the wait for spring becomes much more of a drudgery. 🙂
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I would cry every day if I had to wake up to 6 degrees or anything lower or minus anything. I would definitely have to move to a warmer climate during winter.
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We usually take some time off and go to Spain or Portugal, but alas, COVID is there …
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Oh yeah, tell me about that fun snatcher covid!!
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Exactly what I told you last week JoAnn. You’d really LOVE Las Cuevas, but the crowds that flock to that side instead of at Maracas Bay is crazy, then top it off with the fact that they have this tinny tiny parking area that you have to be lucky to find a spot inside the “gated” area or even outside on the streets – but between the two beaches I’d take Las Cuevas EVERY time, just NOT ON A SUNDAY! Beach restrictions being lifted, makes it even worst, but it will eventually get back to normal, where you “might could” fit-in on a Sunday. As for renting the fishing boats, I guess that’s something they recently started. I never knew they rented those boats. I know that area is where the fishermen dock their boats and the fish depot is right at the side. On a good day if you’re lucky to catch them as soon as the come in you get the best fresh fish and shrimp ever – especially King Fish – it’s the best!!! I’m home sick now – I just miss waking up on any given day and driving through Santa Cruz or Maraval and up that north coast road – and getting the smell of the ocean as you get closer to Maracas beach – LOVE IT!!!
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Yes it certainly was lovely! Now that I think about it I did just assume the boats were for renting. You’re probably right. That might not have been the case, lol.
The last time we went it was on a Friday. It wasn’t too busy at all but yeah we will never go on a weekend day again. We can go during the week almost anytime so no need for all that! Since you know the area I can tell you that when we were leaving the line of cars was backed up almost to the lookout point and they just kept coming as we were winding back through the mountains. Wowie!
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That level of traffic on a normal Sunday is only happening because beaches just opened up. Yes beaches are crowded on the weekends, but not to the extent that it is now. It will eventually go back to normal in a few months when everyone makes up for the time of no sea and salt! But Monday to Saturday is your best bet. The north coast roads are really good now, a few years ago people were too scared to drive there because of the landslides and horrible roads and accidents- I seen cars go off the cliffs too – but the fixed it up as best as they could, more and more people have cars now, so that too adds to the Sunday madness. Oh, and please don’t go on Ash Wednesday either….no no no no NEVER!!! If you think Sunday is bad, wait ‘til you see Ash Wednesday!!! And it’s not just the north coast, it’s the entire island – both of them!! Ash Wednesday, anywhere, but a beach!!! Go to church, go to work go anywhere but to the beach – don’t even entertain the thought!!!
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Ha ha you’re so funny! Thanks for the tips. Ash Wednesday? Cleansing the sins right? They aren’t having carnival again this year so maybe that would help. Still not going to chance it!
My husband too has told me about people driving over the cliffs! The road is bad enough, can’t even imagine it being worse. People fly through that thing like crazy. We have people pass us flying sometimes. Breaking your neck to get the beach doesn’t seem worth it to me!
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LOL – yep cleansing those sins are necessary. Girl, people are truly crazy, because they are well aware of the dangers of driving like an arse on that north coast road – but do they care? Nope, they fly like crazy. Unfortunately some of them ended up over the cliffs, dead or badly wounded! One night coming from Maracas, my husband and groups of people had to go down one of those cliffs that luckily wasn’t on the western side which lead straight into the bottomless sea, to try to rescue some idiots who were racing each other and ended up in a mangled mess over the cliff. You’ll find out at accident scenes in Trinidad, civilians are often times the ones doing the rescues way before the police and fire services arrive.
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Racing on that road? Must have been high or something! Sounds like a great way to commit suicide. Those are some brave people going to rescue them! I can certainly imagine that it would take emergency services a while to get up there.
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Yes, racing on that road! High on some “toto”!! and of course because emergency services will take forever to get there with those “big” vehicles on those narrower roads, civilians have to come to the rescue every time, risking life and limb. Most times it takes villagers and people who know trails and are used to going down those treacherous cliffs for hunting purposes etc. and a few brave souls to try to get to them while emergency services make their way there. My husband is from Maraval, so he’s used to the valleys and hills and those steep inclines and has hiked and hunted in different areas on the north coast so he’s knows how to get down or over some of these cliffs.
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