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Back to Arima

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Voykit pocket guide · Trinidad and Tobago

Arima

Half a day is enough: visit the Asa Wright Nature Centre for birding, then move on to Port of Spain or the north coast. One night if you want the dawn bird tour.

Arima is a market town on the eastern edge of Trinidad's East-West Corridor, 10 km from Piarco Airport and 30 km from Port of Spain. Its main draw is the Asa Wright Nature Centre, a former cocoa plantation turned world-class birding reserve. The town itself has a few parks, a horse-racing track and a parang music scene before Christmas, but most travellers use it as a stopover or a half-day trip from the capital.

Port of SpainCastaraChaguanasChaguaramasCrown PointPoint FortinSan FernandoScarboroughArima50 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
Trinidad and Tobago
Best months
Dec–May (dry season)
Avoid
Jun–Nov (wet season, especially Aug–Oct)
Stay
0–1 nights

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency
TTD
Money
Currency is the Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TTD); US dollars are accepted in some tourist places but are scarce to change back.
Daily spend
Budget TT$300–500 excl. bed · Mid TT$500–1,000 excl. bed · High TT$1,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
SIM and data
bmobile (TSTT) and Digicel sell SIMs at Piarco and malls; bring your passport.
Emergency
Police 999 · Fire 990 · Ambulance 811
Plugs
Types A, B · 115 V · 60 Hz · US plugs fit.
Tipping
Restaurants: 10–15% if no service charge.; Taxis: Round up.; Guides: TT$50–100 per person for a half day.
Water
Tap water is treated but supply is irregular in places; most visitors drink bottled or filtered.
Toilets
In malls, restaurants and hotels; few public toilets.

What things cost

ItemPrice
Doubles (street snack)TT$5–10
Bake and sharkTT$15–25
Chinese takeaway mealTT$30–50
Maxi taxi Arima–Port of SpainTT$25
Taxi Piarco–ArimaTT$80–120
Asa Wright Nature Centre entryTT$550

Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.

Get in

By air

POS · Piarco International Airport
About 10 km (6.2 mi) west; 15–20 min by taxi or maxi taxi

Typical fares

Maxi taxi Arima–Port of Spain
about TT$25, 45 min
Taxi Piarco–Arima
TT$80–120, 15–20 min (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card

Get around

Maxi taxis and PTSC buses connect Arima with Port of Spain and Piarco. Within town, walking or short taxi rides. A car is useful for the Blanchisseuse Road to Asa Wright.

See and do

Known for

  • Asa Wright Nature Centre
  • Santa Rosa Park horse racing
  • Parang music before Christmas
  • Amerindian heritage (Santa Rosa First Peoples Community)

Day trips

WhereHowTime
Port of SpainMaxi taxi or PTSC bus, about 45 minAbout 1 h
Asa Wright Nature CentreTaxi or drive up Blanchisseuse Road, about 20 min from ArimaAbout 30 min
Maracas BayDrive via the North Coast Road, about 1 hAbout 1.25 h
Grande RiviereDrive via Toco Road, about 1.5 hAbout 2 h

Sleep

Arima town centre
Basic guesthouses and self-catering apartments; limited options, book ahead.
Asa Wright Nature Centre
Cottages on the reserve; book weeks ahead, includes meals and guided walks.

Phrase card

EnglishSay or show
How much?How much?how much
Thank youThank youthank you
Where is the maxi stop?Where is the maxi stop?where de maxi stop
One doubles, pleaseOne doubles, pleaseone doubles please

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

  • Greeting: Good morning to everyone; handshakes; avoid: Skipping greetings
  • Religion: Cover up and remove shoes at temples; avoid: Beachwear in town
  • Carnival: Follow your band's rules and security; avoid: Wandering off alone at J'ouvert
  • Talking: Food, cricket, music and Carnival; avoid: Taking sides in Afro/Indo politics

Scams and watch-outs

  • Asa Wright Nature Centre entry is TT$550 (US$83) — check current price; cash only on arrival.
  • Blanchisseuse Road is winding and narrow in sections; drive carefully in the wet season.
  • No high-end dining in Arima; food is street stalls, fast food and Chinese takeaway.

Arima is generally safe during the day. Petty crime can occur in the market area; avoid walking alone at night in unlit streets. The main risk is road traffic on the East-West Corridor.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Arima yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • Asa Wright Nature Centre
  • Santa Rosa Park horse racing
  • Parang music before Christmas
  • Amerindian heritage (Santa Rosa First Peoples Community)

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Arima

To this address, please

To this address, please

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

English is the official language; Trinidadian Creole is widely spoken.

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/arima). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.