Chaguaramas_Biking_Trails

Many persons use the Chaguaramas peninsula for cycling and the most popular area is the Macqueripe Road. Although this road has reduced vehicular traffic when compared to many other major roads in Trinidad, there is still significant vehicle traffic. Chagaramas however because of its old military roads and natural vegetation provides several cycling areas with little or no vehicle traffic while mentally refreshing you with the sights of nature.

Shortly after you enter Chaguaramas National Park, immediately after the Kayak Center on the northwestern side of the Western Main Road is a narrow old road that is barred by a metal barrier gate. There is usually a fruit seller at the entrance to the road. Going around the gate takes you into an area that is known as Guave Road and enables you to ride through an area that is mixed agricultural and secondary forest. The road is mainly packed dirt and eventually exits onto Macqueripe Road.

Further along Macqueripe Road on the right (eastern side), just before Samaan Park, is Covigne Road. If you had driven to this point you can park your vehicle in the car park at Samaan Park and begin your bike ride at this point. The entire ride along this road is through secondary forest. After a few minutes along Covigne Road the road veers left and there are large No Entry signs, however there is a dirt road to the right and it is this dirt road to follow for the bike ride. At times there is a low barrier across the dirt road to stop vehicle access however cyclists can skirt the barrier and continue.

At the eastern end of Covigne Road is a single bar barrier to prevent vehicle access but cyclists can easily go around the barrier. As you continue there is a choice of going left or right. The left turn leads to the Cuesa River and shortly before the river on the right (east) there is a slight incline that leads to a nutmeg grove and a rivulet that tumbles over a rock face, providing a refreshing shower. The trail on the right immediately after the barrier provides the opportunity for an exciting ride through vegetation as the road narrows to a single person track with the vegetation pressing close. There is a gentle uphill climb that leads to a former World War 2 bunker. To leave the Covigne Road area you have to go back along the same route as you entered. An interesting addition to this ride is to use the Huggins Trail (described on our Other Hikes Page) as the entry point to Covigne Road.

Further along Macqueripe Road is the road that leads to the Chaguaramas Golf Course. This well paved road provides a ride through alternating patches of secondary forest and former tonka bean estate. When riding through this area you can often hear the roar of the Howler monkeys and in the evenings you can see the Amazon parrots coming in to roost. The road ends at the golf course car park and clubhouse. During the rainy season you can see the water tumbling down Edith Falls which gives a dramatic backdrop to the clubhouse. For those in need of light refreshments after the exertions of their ride, the clubhouse provides the opportunity for a light snack. To the right of the car park (northwestern side) there is an old road along which you can continue your ride and which exits onto Macqueripe Road.

As one approaches the end of Macqueripe Road near to Macqueripe Beach, there is a road on the right (eastern side) that leads to the tracking station. The early part of this ride goes through arching stands of bamboo that have an almost cathedral feel. The latter portion of this ride is well suited for those who want a strong cardio-vascular workout because after the bamboo grove it is an uphill climb to the tracking station.

For off-road riders there is the Bamboo Cathedral Bike Trail.

At the northern end of Macqueripe Road lies Macqueripe Beach whose crystal clear waters always invite you to abandon your bikes for a short while and have a swim. For the avid mountain biker the Macqueripe to Chagaramas Golf Course trail, which begins at the Macqueripe Beach car park, is an exciting ride.

At the southern end of Macqueripe Road immediately after the former power station (Base nightclub) there is a road on the left (western side) that has a metal swing gate for blocking vehicles. Cyclists can easily go around the gate. This is a relatively short ride through secondary forest and then to the Government experimental farm. On afternoons and weekends there is no exit from this area, so cyclists have to retrace their route and exit at the entry point.

Many of the rides through these various areas that branch off along the Macqueripe Road are not of extended duration, however their close proximity allows you to mix and match areas to get a variety of road surfaces and riding environments.

Other Bike Rides in Chaguaramas

In our previous section under Chaguaramas Biking Trails we focused on areas at the entrance to Chaguaramas, particularly those areas off the Macueripe Road. There are however other areas in Chaguaramas that offer interesting areas for cycling. Indeed the Western Main Road that leads into the Chaguaramas National Park and runs the length of the peninsula is by itself an interesting ride. Portions of the road provide you with sea vistas while other sections give you views of the many yachts that visit Trinidad to avoid the effects of the hurricane season and have repairs conducted at the many marinas. The road ends at the entrance to the army base.

An interesting short diversionary ride is to swing off the Western Main Road and go along Airways Road. This road takes you behind the Chaguaramas Convention Center and past the Hotel School and then goes past the Fire Services Training School before gently descending to join onto the Western Main Road. Cycling through this area is cycling through a mixture of urban landscape and scrub forest and at times especially early morning and late evenings you can see the green parrots coming to and from their roosts while other birds flit from one patch of undergrowth to another. A very enjoyable ride for those who are very fit is the ascent of Morne St Catherine. This road (Cano Ventura Road) branches off Airways road and takes you to the top of the 1,700 foot Mount St Catherine peak. Going to Mount St Catherine is bicycling through nature and history with a variety of wildlife and World War II emplacements. You can learn more about this area in our Morne St Catherine section.

Shortly after the Trinidad Yachting Association headquarters is a road on the left (southern side) that leads to the Point Gourde peninsula. This is another area that has a long history, in this case going back beyond World War II and at the same time offers riding on a mixture of roads and trails. It also gives the chance to see Capuchin Monkeys, Squirrel Cuckoos and Rufous-tailed Jacamars. In the Point Gourde area are remnants of fortifications built by the Spanish and British between 1796 and 1805 and Admiral Apodaca’s fleet of ships, was scuttled off Point Gourde in the British invasion in 1797. You can learn more about this area by visiting our Point Gourde section on our web site.

As one continues along the Western Main Road after the Yachting Association Bay, one encounters several roads on the right (northern side) called Granwood, 1st Avenue, 2nd Avenue and 3rd Avenue. Entering any of these roads allows one to explore an area of old trails, abandoned buildings, small streams, birds in trees and small animals scuttling across your path. All of these roads interconnect allowing you to crisscross through the area, until you reach the army's Camp Omega Battleground Camp (at which point one must turn back).

Bamboo Cathedral Bike Trail

Brian Ramsey

Many individuals are familiar with the Bamboo Cathedral in Macqueripe,  Chaguaramas and use the paved road that runs through the area for walking, jogging, and cycling. There is however a trail in this area that is excellent for mountain bikers or persons looking for a walk in the serenity of nature. The entrance to the trail lies on the right immediately as you enter the road leading to the Bamboo Cathedral. 

The trail at this point goes through stands of Bamboo and does a loop that after 15 minutes of walking brings you back close to the entrance on the paved road. There is however a spur that branches off the trail and following this spur provides you another 30 minutes of hiking. 

The trail is mainly flat with some low short inclines. Some parts of the trail pass thru arches of bamboo while other parts go through forested land.

In the early mornings you can hear the cries of howler monkeys reverberating through the forest. If you are lucky you may even see some of the monkeys. Along some sections of the trail there are numerous Heliconia balisier plants and these attract hummingbirds seeking to sip on the nectar from the flowers. These hummingbirds fly so fast through the undergrowth that you hear the buzzing of their wings rather than see them. Along the way Blue Morpho butterflies flit ahead of you.

This extended part of the trail also ends on the paved road that runs through Bamboo Cathedral although at a different location than where you would have entered.

Chaguaramas Cycle Lane

The Chaguaramas peninsula is a favorite location for cycling in Trinidad with many routes that cater for both road cycling and off-road bicyclists. Later on this page we identify some of those routes. Among those cycle routes is the Western Main Road which runs the entire length of the peninsula and provides cyclists with a relatively flat route. 

As this roadway is shared between vehicles, bicycles and joggers, the road has been widened and a special cycle lane added. Beginning at Skallywag Bay and extending for 5.5 kilometers, this cycle lane is clearly demarcated with plastic lane separators and in some sections with a different color asphalt. This special lane allows cyclists and joggers to be able to enjoy their recreation without being on the same lane with vehicles.

Along the route cyclists will go past parts of Williams Bay, the Military History Museum, yachts at anchor and in storage plus some of the entertainment facilities in the Chaguaramas peninsula. So that cycling along this bicycle path provides the rider a scenic route. 

Other_Mountain_Bike_Trails_in_Trinidad

For information on the bicycle trails in Chaguaramas, see our Chaguaramas Biking Trails section.