Port of Spain

Spreading back from the Gulf of Paria and cradled by the Northern Range foothills, Port of Spain is a mishmash of the pretty and the gritty, with the green expanse of uptown Queen's Park Savannah and a host of gorgeous fretworked buildings alongside a frenetic, gridlocked downtown area, its waterfront mostly hidden behind grimy industrial sprawl. But the city's explosive development has created a savvy, metropolitan verve that sets it apart from the average Caribbean capital. This isn’t a place that kowtows to the tourist dollar, and it’s all the richer for it. There may not be many designated ‘sights’, but there’s plenty of atmosphere downtown, with its market stalls and shady squares, while outlying Woodbrook harbors a host of eternally busy restaurants, bars and clubs. And during Carnival season, huge outdoor 'fetes' rock all corners, steel-pan music fills the air and the atmosphere is electric.