Asa Wright Nature Centre

Asa Wright occupies an old cocoa estate, Spring Hill, whose house was built in 1906-1908, high in the Arima Valley of Trinidad's Northern Range, run since 1967 by a non-profit trust, and its famous verandah is the reason birders come from across the world: sit still with a rum punch and hummingbirds, honeycreepers, tanagers and oropendolas work the feeders and flowering trees a few metres away, with the forested valley dropping below. Trails run through rainforest where manakins lek and trogons call, some 256 bird species have been recorded here, and the estate protects one of the few accessible colonies of the oilbird, in Dunston Cave, a nocturnal fruit-eating bird that navigates caves by echolocation - visitors with a stay of several nights may join the guided cave visit.

What's there

• The verandah - hummingbirds and tanagers at arm's length from the feeders.
• The oilbird cave - the accessible Dunston Cave colony, on guided visits.
• Forest trails - manakin leks, trogons and bellbird calls.
• The old estate house - the plantation building at the centre's heart.

When to go

The dry season from January to May is the classic window with easier trails, though birding is excellent year round. Breeding activity peaks in the early part of the year. Rain in the wet season is heavy but usually short and the forest is at its greenest.

Good to know

Access to the oilbird cave has historically been reserved for guests staying multiple nights, and arrangements change - confirm before travelling if that is the draw. Opening and lodging arrangements change, so check the current position. The road up the valley is narrow and winding. It is a birding destination first; casual visitors may find a couple of hours enough.

Nearby

The Caroni Swamp, Arima and the Northern Range beaches on the north coast.

Key facts