Exploring Quinam Bay.

This walking and hiking trail lies completely at Quinam Bay. This bay lies on the southern coastline of Trinidad at 10.07302°N & -61.50826°W. There are two principal ways to get here. This first is along the Penal-Quiman Road that starts in the village of Penal. The second is along the Quinam Road via Coora Road that starts in the town of Siparia at 10.143815°N & -61.50816°W. I followed the second alternative. Both roads have very long lonely stretches and there have been numerous reports of armed robberies along both roads and even along the beach so take care and travel in numbers. This shoreline is also quite close to the South American mainland so there have been lots of reports of illegal drugs and so on landing on these beaches.
The Quinam Bay car park is located at 10.07302°N & -61.50826°W. Whilst I was here I noticed that there was construction taking place. It appeared that they were building new beach facilities and possibly life guard facilities as well. Along the road leading to the beach there are numerous “Amerindian” style huts that the regional corporation created for recreational purposes. They come complete with tables and chairs as well as facilities for outdoor cooking, so it makes for a very nice day at the beach.
When the tide is low one can walk along this beach as far east as Morne Diablo Beach and as far west as Los Iros Bay (possibly further). This is a very exciting thing to do because along the way there is lots of interesting rock formations that can be explored as well as numerous bird species to be photographed. Along the shoreline you should look for the Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), the American Black Vulture (Coragypus atratus), the Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus), the Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture (Cathartes burrovianus), the Yellow-headed Caracara (Milvago chimachima), Wilson`s Plover (Charadrius wilsonia), and numerous other species that populate the canopy just beyond the shoreline.
There is a very nice lookout point located at 10.07308°N & -61.50858°W. It is at the end of a very short trail and sits at an elevation of 21.2 metres. From here you get an almost 180° view of the entire bay from east to west. You also get quite a lot of very good shots of the South American mainland.
I found a very interesting rock formation along the eastern shoreline while the tide was out at 10.07208°N & -61.50494°W. I got as far as a very nice perch along the beach located at 10.06752°N & -61.47988°W at an elevation of just 1.2 metres. From here you’ll get a very good view of the entire bay west of you as well as the rest of the coastline due east. I was able to get just over a mile down the shoreline westward before being forced to turn around because of the incoming tide.
So get out and explore this shoreline. You’ll discover unique rock formations, be witness to extreme coastal erosion, and have a change to hike some of the rocky shoreline and navigate with the incoming tides. It’s worth the trip. Plan to do it early morning, tide permitting, as the extreme noon day sunshine can be relentless. Extra water, a hat, long sleeves, and sunscreen will help. Take care for your safety along these long stretches of secluded beaches because of the recent spate of armed robberies along this shore.
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