Columbus Bay
A southwestern beach with eroded clay pillars offshore, near where Columbus is said to have landed in 1498.
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Columbus Bay lies at the far southwestern tip of Trinidad near Cedros, a brown-sand beach lined with coconut palms and backed by clay cliffs, and the feature people photograph is offshore: three eroded clay pillars standing in the shallows, cut off from the retreating cliff and known locally as the Three Sisters. Columbus is generally held to have landed somewhere on this coast in 1498. Venezuela is visible across the water.
What you actually see
- The Three Sisters - eroded clay pillars standing offshore in the shallows.
- The clay cliffs - the eroding bank behind the beach that the pillars came from.
- The coconut fringe - palms running the length of the sand.
- The Venezuelan view - the mainland visible across the Columbus Channel.
When to go
January to May is driest. The pillars are best at low tide and in morning light. Weekends bring local visitors.
Honest expectations
The drive from anywhere is long and the roads in the southwest are poor. The pillars are eroding and are smaller than older photographs show. Facilities are minimal.
Nearby
Cedros is nearby, and Banwari Trace is northeast.
What to pack for Columbus Bay
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
