Chaguanas
Chaguanas is a borough in west-central Trinidad, south of Port of Spain, north of Couva and San Fernando. Chaguanas is a hub for Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian culture and for the broader Indo-Caribbean culture.
Understand
Chaguanas was named for the Chaguanes Amerindian tribe. The area was settled by the time of the British conquest of Trinidad in 1797. The town developed on a sugar estate beside a sugar refinery and a coconut and cocoa estate to the north and east.Construction of the Trinidad Government Railway helped the town grow.
During World War II, a United States Army Air Forces airbase was constructed which became the principal combat base for USAAF bombers and Naval airships on Trinidad. The facility was decommissioned in 1950, and today the base has been turned into a dairy and agricultural area.
In the later 20th century Chaguanas grew rapidly as a bazaar town. The construction of Lange Park in the early 1980s attracted a middle-class community moving. Its central location made it attractive to southerners working in north Trinidad and northerners looking for more affordable homes. Over the years, there has been an increase in the number of Afro-Trinidadians joining the mostly Indo-Trinidadian community of Chaguanas, primarily through the construction of National Housing Authority housing.
Chaguanas has evolved and expanded significantly to become the de facto administrative and commercial capital of Central Trinidad, and was home to about 84,000 people in 2011.
Read
- A House for Mr Biswas (1961), V.S. Naipaul. It was Naipaul's first acclaimed novel that put the village of Chaguanas on the global limelight. Naipaul was born here.
Climate
Chaguanas has a lowland seasonal tropical climate with a wet season lasting from June to November and a dry season lasting from January to May. Unlike Port of Spain, Chaguanas has a usually hot and sweltering climate year round, with an exception for the wet season.
Get in
Chaguanas is a 20-25 min drive by car on Uriah Butler Highway from the capital Port of Spain.
Chaguanas is an important transportation hub. Buses, taxis and maxi-taxis connect Chaguanas with Port of Spain, San Fernando, Curepe and Couva, and smaller settlements around central Trinidad. The fare from Port of Spain to Chaguanas on the PTSC is $4.
Get around
Given the town's origin as a village and its generally unplanned rapid growth into the country's largest town (by population), Chaguanas is continuously plagued by traffic problems despite numerous attempts of alternative traffic management schemes.
See
- 1 Caroni Swamp. Mangrove wetland just northwest of town. A good place for birdwatching, in particular the scarlet ibis, Trinidad and Tobago's national bird.
- The Lion House (Anand Bhavan). The ancestral home of the Capildeo family (the maternal relatives of V.S. Naipaul). The majestic building stands as a memorial to the indentured Indo-Trinidadian servants who came to the island nation from the mid 1800s to work on the sugarcane plantations. Note that there is restricted access to go inside for tourists.
- Divali Nagar site, in northern Chaguanas. It is a major attraction in the period just before Diwali. The village of Felicity, on the western end of Chaguanas, is famous for its elaborate Diwali celebrations.
Do
- 1 Spa Paradis, 49 Main Road (in Plaza de Montrose), ☏ +1 868 225 7360, +1 868 753 6115, info@spaparadis.com. A clean and relaxing spa. They provide a complimentary cheesecake and tea/coffee at the end of your session.
Buy
Chaguanas developed as a market town and still attracts bargain shoppers. Much of Chaguanas' development has centred around the Chaguanas Main Road where numerous shopping plazas have been constructed.
There are three malls in the downtown: Centre City, Mid Centre and Centre Pointe Mall. Price Plaza in Endeavour has upscale retail.
Eat
- Passage to Asia, 7 St. Yves St (next to Presentation College), ☏ +1 868 671 8709, interflavors@gmail.com. Daily 11AM-10PM. The restaurant lives up to its name as it serves a variety of Indian, Chinese and Thai food.
- Medford's Grill Xpress, 6 Rodney Rd, ☏ +1 868 665-2027. Informal and casual setting. International grilled cuisine.
- Buffet King (in Centre Point Mall), ☏ +1 868 671-8795. Provides the biggest buffet in the country. Over 50 self-serve dishes available. Very casual environment.
- Peche Patisserie, 74B Caroni Savannah Rd, ☏ +1 868 672-2433, info@pechepatisserie.com. Stylish, upmarket French bakery. Has a rustic, modern interior. The pastries and bread are freshly baked daily.
- Eagle's Chinese Restaurant & Bar, 44 Eleanor St (See the big eagle on the top of a 3-storey building), ☏ +1 868 665 6825. Steamed and fried dumplings, spicy seafood, ribs and pork buns.
- Giro Pizza, 94 Ramsaran Street, ☏ +1 868 280-4476. You can have wood-fired pizzas, lasagnas, and desserts such as tiramisu and panna cotta. The restaurant is owned and the food is made by an actual Italian.
- Kaizan Sushi, Shop 11a Price Plaza, ☏ +1 868 623-5370. Efficient Japanese restaurant. Good customer service. Try the lava roll and sake.
Drink
Sleep
- 1 Liberty Hotel and Convention Centre (across the Caparo River). Fully air-conditioned with Wi-Fi access.