Nowhere in Trinidad is "too far away." In my experience, everything is within 3 - 4 hours (max) away by car (traffic notwithstanding). However, whereas those of us from "East" and "South" are accustomed driving long distances, most "town"/West people don't seem to know their way past the lighthouse in Port of Spain. They refer to anything beyond it as "bush" and exclaim that it is "too far."
So ... if you're in the POS area and looking for a good beach that's not "too far" away, Tairico Bay is a good choice. Getting there involves a pleasant 30 minute cruise along winding roads and touristy scenery (vast blue ocean, thickly forested mountains, panoramic skies, the undulating green of Moka Golf Course, wooden roadside 'shacks' selling local goodies like salt prunes, preserved plums, jewelry, etc.).
Just after Maracas Bay, Tairico appears. It is not as popular (populated) as Maracas and that's why I like it. I find it a humble beach, offering a bumpy dirt track entrance, open sand with hardly any stones (although the 30 foot 'Trini tsunamis' of late 2005 brought in quite a bit) and water that's mostly blue-green, clear and cold. The beach is normally dotted with families or small groups playing in the water, building sandcastles, liming near cars or lounging in the sand. The atmosphere is not invasive. No matter how many people are there, there is always a sense of privacy and 'ownership.' As a result, my friends and I, who end up there mostly on spontaneous afternoon jaunts, refer to Tairico as 'our' beach.
The water is rarely too rough -- it presents itself as either large, smooth swells that break close to shore or, rarely, as clear smooth glass. It was on one of those rare, glass-like days that my English friend/video-project-partner Rose and I bobbed for hours (from mid-morning until sunset) in the inner-tubes of tyres (which I keep in my car trunk). Unafraid of the depths below us, we drifted, chatted, laughed, lazily soaked in sun, marvelled at rainbows in moments of light rain ... and ignored the persistent pick-up lines from the rasta who clearly felt that our day was incomplete without him.
I don't go to Tairico that often (as I prefer Toco and Manzanilla/Mayaro which are 'far')... but every time I have been there it has struck me as a beach of simple moments, deep conversations, deep silences, natural baptism, renewal of spirit, relaxation, creation, laughter, memories and magic. My friends who have gone with me will agree ... as I'm sure you will also.
(For those who don't know what it is, the second photo shows a jellyfish on the sand).
I absolutely love the pictures all of you post! Rarely do I see such beautiful sites! Thank you!
Posted by: Stephanie | March 28, 2006 at 10:39 AM
You're welcome. Glad you're enjoying everyone's offerings.
Posted by: Elspeth | March 28, 2006 at 12:01 PM
I had to chuckle at your post, Elspeth, because if I go to far side of the island, my mother will exclaim, "you're going to drive THAT far? Do you know that it's thirty minutes?! Are you sure you want to do that?"
I guess our perceptions of what is far and what isn't depends heavily on where we live.
Posted by: arubagirl | March 28, 2006 at 10:13 PM
Ha! I drive at least 30 mins distance on most days. If the things someone needs on a daily basis are within a 5 - 10 mile radius, s/he gets used to driving for that length of time and considers anything else 'far'. Imagine living on Bequia (7 sq miles) and thinking the other side of the island is far. All relative, I guess.
Posted by: Elspeth | March 29, 2006 at 06:28 AM