Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 224

292 Find the soul of Trinidad
Home to the largest carnival in the world outside
Rio, Port of Spain is the heart and capital of
Trinidad. But the island's soul remains in the
countryside - in sleepy agricultural communities
like Brasso Seco. Paria Springs Eco Community
runs homestays here with local families, and
offers tours around the surrounding rainforest.
They will also take you up to Grand Rivière in
the north of the island, a wind-battered beach
beloved by surfers and visited once a year by
leatherback turtles, who come ashore in their
hundreds to lay their eggs. For those few nights
everyone in the little village is on high alert,
rescuing hatchlings that have taken a wrong
turn away from the shore and fending off greedy
predators.

Need to know
Homestays cost between
US$30 and US$120 per
person per night. Most
of the homes are on the
main island of Grenada
although there's also
one on Petite Martinique.
For details see W www.
homestaysgrenada.com;
T [phone].

294 Get under
Cuba's skin
Cuban families have
been allowed to host
tourists in their
homes since 1997,
and there are now
several thousand such
residences all over
the island. Known as
casas particulares ,
they vary from elegant
suites in grandiose
apartments redolent of
the crumbling grandeur
of Havana to a sparse
and simple room in a
modest bungalow deep
in the countryside.
Wherever you stay,
this is the way to get to
meet Cubans on their
terms, away from the
tourist hubs and the
accompanying touts. When you're in the country,
these touts will constantly try to persuade you to
stay in various casas so you're better off booking
ahead - try the Cuba Casa website ( W www.
cubacasas.net), an extensive directory of the best
casas particulares.

Need to know The village of Brasso Seco is 2hr
east from Port of Spain. Few taxis will know where
it is, so make sure you arrange with your hosts
how to get there first. Homestays costs US$50
per person per night. For further info see W www.
pariasprings.com; T [phone].

293 Get back to the roots, Grenada
Impromptu parties are a regular occurrence in
the Caribbean: often kicking off in the middle
of the street, with heavy bass beats booming
out of huge speakers, accompanied by dancing
and liberal doses of local rum. Trouble is, you
never know when and where they're happening
- unless you're staying with a local. Homestays
Grenada organizes stays with families all across
Grenada - from the picturesque harbour of St
George and the long Grande Anse beach to the
remote northern village of Sauteurs. Closely
involved in the daily life of the home and the
community, guests will be treated like a member
of the family. Homestays Grenada also runs a
variety of “Roots Tours”, which range from a
traditional Rastafarian picnic and a visit to local
artists to demonstrations of herbal medicine.
You could even learn how to play the steel
drums - your own noisy contribution to those
spontaneous shindigs.

Squash for sale at a street
market in Havana; Leatherback
turtle hatchlings making their
way into the sea for the first
time at Grand Rivière, Trinidad

Need to know The website also features detailed
information on travelling around Cuba, including
bus and train timetables.