Carenage Bay

About This Anchorage

Carenage is a traditional fishing village on Trinidad's northwest coast, between Port of Spain and Chaguaramas — a colourful, working-waterfront community with brightly painted fishing pirogues, a local fish market, and a genuine slice of Trinidadian waterfront life. The anchorage in the inner bay is sheltered from the west and north, with reasonable holding in Gulf of Paria mud. It is more exposed to the east and northeast than the main Chaguaramas Bay anchorage. Carenage is useful as a provisioning stop — the local market has fresh catch, fruit, and vegetables. It is also the nearest anchorage to Port of Spain (5nm east), making it a staging point for those wanting to visit the capital without navigating into the busy inner harbour. Historic significance: the area was one of the earliest European anchorages on Trinidad's western coast.

Hazards

• !Exposed to east and northeast — easterly conditions can make anchorage uncomfortable; move to Chaguaramas Bay
• !Fishing pirogue traffic throughout the day — maintain vigilant anchor watch
• !Gulf of Paria tidal range 0.9–1.5m — set scope for high water
• !Shallow approach on some lines — use chart and depth sounder when entering from east

Skipper's Tips

• →The Carenage fish market opens early (06:00) — fresh local catch and excellent prices
• →Roti from the village shops is among the best in Trinidad — the doubles (curried chickpea flatbread) is a national obsession
• →Carenage is a good anchorage if arriving late and Chaguaramas Bay is full — quieter and more local in character
• →Port of Spain (5nm east) can be visited by local taxi or maxi-taxi from the village — leave boat anchored here

Nearby Anchorages