Trinidad and Tobago - Destination Handbook

\ Index View Print Exit /
Want to get a true sense of what it’s like to live here
Visit some our towns and cities…explore the wonders they have to offer!
ARIMA
Many of the names of towns and villages that
you see on a map of Trinidad and Tobago can
be attributed to the Amerindians that were
indigenous to our isles. Arima, meaning ‘water’,
is one such example. Founded by Capuchin monks
in 1757, it is one of the earliest settlements on
the island. Situated in the idyllic foothills of the
Northern Range, it served as a meeting point for
neighbouring estates and for the most part,
led a quiet, sleepy life.
Its calm reverie was broken in the 1780s, when
the Mission of Arima as it was known, was used
by Governor Jose Maria Chacon as a transfer point
for all the Amerindians from the neighbouring
districts, allowing distribution of the arable land to
newly arrived French planters under the Cedula.
This continued until 1828 when Arima was no
longer preserved as a Mission. By the 1870s,
a radical transformation took place with the
rapid spread of the cocoa industry. Planters
began to clamour for a more efficient system
of transportation into Port of Spain. Arima,
historically the hub for the outlying districts saw
the inauguration of the first railway line in Trinidad
for both passengers and freight.
Today, the town of Arima has retained some of its
original flavour as the hub via which people from
the North and East coasts traverse in order to do
their shopping or travel into the capital. Arima’s
economy has changed from an agricultural base
to an industrial one, with the establishment of
factories and housing estates along the outskirts
of town. The area still remains home to much of
the Amerindian population, though you would be
hard pressed to find anyone of pure blood today.
The feast of Santa Rosa, in which descendants
of the Carib tribe parade in full regalia is still
celebrated on the streets of the town, and on this
special occasion a new Carib ‘Queen’ is selected.
CHAGUANAS
The Borough of Chaguanas, located in Central
Trinidad is one of our oldest known settlements,
pre-dating the Spanish colonists. The story goes
that it was named after the indigenous tribe that
lived in the area at the time, the Chaguanes.
Historically, Chaguanas was ignored by the
Spanish and only came into prominent use after
the island became a British colony. The area was
considered to be excellent for the cultivation of
sugar cane and as a result, several large estates,
Trinidad & Tobago Destination Handbook
24