Caroni Swamp

Caroni Swamp, the largest wetland in Trinidad and Tobago and a Ramsar site, spreads over some 5,611 hectares of mangrove channels, marsh and lagoons on Trinidad's west coast where the Caroni river meets the Gulf of Paria, and its evening spectacle is one of the Caribbean's best: boats push out through narrow mangrove tunnels past caiman, tree boas and crab-eating raccoons, then wait on an open lagoon as the light fades. From around five, scarlet ibis begin arriving in flocks from their feeding grounds - Trinidad's national bird, a shade of red that looks artificial - settling into a stand of mangroves until the trees appear to be covered in scarlet blossom. Egrets and herons roost alongside, giving the whole island a striped effect.

What's there

• The ibis fly-in - thousands of scarlet birds arriving to roost at dusk.
• Mangrove channels - the boat route past caiman and tree boas.
• Roosting egrets and herons - the mixed colony sharing the islands.
• Sunset over the lagoon - the wait before the birds arrive.

When to go

Tours run year round, leaving mid-afternoon to reach the lagoon before dusk. Numbers are generally highest outside the breeding dispersal, and guides know current conditions. Rain rarely cancels but makes the open boat wet - bring a light waterproof.

Good to know

The birds are viewed at a distance across water, as they should be - binoculars transform the experience and cameras without a long lens will disappoint. Boats do not approach the roost. Mosquitoes on the lagoon at dusk are serious; repellent is essential. Tours are fixed-departure and take about two and a half hours, most of it waiting quietly.

Nearby

Port of Spain, the Asa Wright centre in the hills and Chaguaramas peninsula.

Key facts