Port of Spain

Port of Spain is Trinidad's capital, and the cruise terminal is near the city centre. The Magnificent Seven, a row of colonial mansions along the western edge of Queen's Park Savannah, showcase different architectural styles from French to Islamic to Scottish. The National Museum and Art Gallery covers Trinidadian history and Carnival. The Royal Botanic Gardens, next to the Savannah, have tropical trees and are free to enter. Trinidad is the birthplace of steelpan music and calypso, and a visit to a panyard (steelpan rehearsal space) is possible on some days. The food is the real highlight: doubles (fried dough with curried chickpeas) from a street vendor is the national snack, and roti shops serve Indian-influenced flatbread wraps with curry fillings. Maracas Bay, about 40 minutes over the mountains, has a popular beach with shark-and-bake (fried shark in bread) stalls. The Trinidad and Tobago Dollar is the currency.