Forest trails
Tall trees and ginger flowers.
anaxmedia — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Alastair Rae from London, United Kingdom — CC BY-SA 2.0 · anaxmedia — CC BY-SA 2.0 · anaxmedia — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Grueslayer — CC BY-SA 4.0 · anaxmedia — CC BY-SA 2.0
The Asa Wright Nature Centre is a nature reserve and lodge in the Arima Valley, in the rainforest of Trinidad's Northern Range. An old estate house sits on a green slope with trails through the trees, and it is one of the top birdwatching spots in the Caribbean, with 256 bird species recorded. The house was built between 1906 and 1908 on a cocoa estate, which later belonged to Newcombe and Asa Wright as the Spring Hill Estate. It became famous for easy access to wildlife and for the oilbird colony in nearby Dunston Cave, studied by the scientists David and Barbara Snow in the 1950s. The centre was founded on 22 December 1967 and is owned by a non-profit trust. It closed around 2020 and reopened to visitors in spring 2023. You walk forest trails under tall trees and red ginger flowers, down to a small waterfall falling into a pool. Agoutis cross the paths in front of you, with colourful birds all around. The estate covers about 110 ha, and the centre's land holdings total over 500 ha. The centre is 25 km in a straight line east of Port of Spain, up a winding mountain road. Book day visits at least 24 hours ahead. An undated listing gives a non-resident day fee of US$20 for adults. Do not walk remote trails alone.
Tall trees and ginger flowers.
Clear water in the forest.
Bright birds and agoutis.
Arima Valley, Blanchisseuse Road, Northern Range, Trinidad
Yes, book day visits at least 24 hours ahead.
No, the trails, waterfall and forest suit everyone.