Every day, the scarlet ibis, Trinidad & Tobago’s national bird, flies to nearby Venezuela to feed and heads back to its island home in the late afternoon. Watching the birds in their thousands return to roost in the vivid green mangroves of Caroni Swamp, red plumage blazing against the deepening blue sky, is one of the greatest sights the Caribbean has to offer.
Take a sunset trip by boat through the serene “canals” and tidal lagoons of the swamp, with guides pointing out snakes, iguanas and other creatures as you glide past. Once anchored, sit back and enjoy the hush of dusk until the return of the ibises.
The Caroni Swamp is off the coast of Trinidad, in a bay situated a half-hour drive from the capital Port-of-Spain. If visiting at sunset, remember this is a peak time for mosquitoes, so cover up!
