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Meridiela.

Moruga

A remote south coast village that stages a Columbus landing re-enactment and grows the Moruga Scorpion pepper.

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WhereTrinidad
Nearest cityPrinces Town
Best seasonJanuary to May
Time to allowHalf a day
Getting thereOn the southern coast below Princes Town; long road south
EntryFree

Moruga sits on Trinidad's south coast, remote from everything, a fishing village on a shore facing the Columbus Channel with Venezuela beyond. Every year on Discovery Day the village stages a re-enactment of Columbus's 1498 landing, with boats coming ashore and a procession, an event that has run for decades. The area also gives its name to the Moruga Scorpion, for a period rated among the hottest chilli peppers in the world.

What you actually see

  • The Discovery Day re-enactment - the annual staging of the 1498 landing on the beach.
  • The Moruga Scorpion - the chilli pepper the district is known for.
  • The fishing beach - pirogues worked from the shore.
  • The south coast - the Columbus Channel with Venezuela beyond.

When to go

January to May is driest. The Discovery Day re-enactment falls at the end of July or early August. The village is very quiet the rest of the year.

Honest expectations

It is a long drive on poor roads from anywhere. Facilities are minimal and there is little for visitors outside the annual event. The beach is not a swimming beach.

Nearby

Princes Town is north, and Columbus Bay is west.

What to pack for Moruga

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Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.

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