Port-of-spain Sights and Landmarks Guide, Trinidad And Tobago

Port of Spain Sights – The Downtown Area

When visiting Port of Spain you should definitely start from the downtown area, which is where most of the important buildings are. The locals simply call this area ”town” and its centre is in the Woodford Square. The whole of downtown lies west of St. Ann’s River and east of Richmond Street and its core square is home to the most important architectural and administrative objectives in the city: the City Hall, the Hall of Justice and the Supreme Court and the Seat of Parliament. This is known as the “Red House” and it is a building that stands out due to its red color and impressive architecture. There are also religious and cultural locations to be found in Woodford Square, namely the National Library and the Anglican Holy Trinity Cathedral which is located on the south side of the square. You should imagine this whole area as being full of lawyers’ chambers and government buildings, but at the same time it is one of the greenest areas among other Port of Spain sights, with fountains, trees and lots of benches.

Port of Spain Sights – Office vs. Retail

Another important destination would be the Independence Square, located south of Woodford, which is home to the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and which leads into the shoreline and the famous landmark off the city that used to be the Port of Spain lighthouse, but which is no longer functional. South of the Independence Square you will find some of the tallest buildings in the Caribbean which are currently the tallest in the whole of Trinidad and Tobago, the Twin Towers of the Eric Williams Financial Complex, but there are also several skyscrapers currently under construction. If you are interested in shopping you should just cross the city and head towards the eastern part, where you’ll find an amazing offer of bargains from the Syrian, Chinese and Lebanese communities, among others.

Port of Spain Sights – A Feel of the Suburbs

If arriving in Port of Spain via airplane from Venezuela and you have just visited Caracas or Canaima, the first impression you’ll have of the city will be of the working-class neighborhoods of Laventille that dominate the cityscape in its eastern side. There are lots of houses crowded together and the whole area is known as the most violent in the country, due to its many gangs, drug deals and murders. The city has many such neighborhoods where economic depression is visible, but the violence rate is not so high. There are also former suburbs that have been transformed into middle class residential areas and business districts, so the city has a very colorful landscape in its whole.