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Princes Town
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Princes Town, Trinidad and Tobago, offers southern heritage, cocoa country, local markets, churches and access to Trinidad’s green interior and villages.

A Mission Town in Southern Trinidad

Princes Town lies in the rolling interior of southern Trinidad, a regional centre surrounded by villages, former sugar lands, cocoa-growing country and low wooded hills. Its colonial name recalls the settlement once known as Mission Savanna Grande, established by Capuchin missionaries in the late eighteenth century. Today, the town is less a conventional sightseeing destination than a useful base for understanding southern Trinidad beyond the coastal cities: streets of practical local commerce lead towards communities where agriculture, religion, family life and village traditions remain closely connected.
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Heritage, Faith and Community Life

The town’s churches and civic buildings reflect the intertwined histories of Roman Catholic mission work, plantation society, African heritage and Indian indentureship. The Roman Catholic parish of Our Lady of Lourdes is among the area’s notable religious institutions, while local churches, schools and community grounds remain important gathering places. Princes Town also has a strong association with the wider central-southern landscape of sugar and cocoa, whose estates shaped settlement patterns and cultural life after emancipation.

Forests, Villages and Living Traditions

Beyond the centre, the Princes Town region opens into a greener Trinidad of forest roads, agricultural villages and dramatic geological features. The Devil’s Woodyard mud volcanoes at New Grant are a distinctive regional attraction, while nearby country roads reveal small farms, roadside produce stalls and changing views across the southern range. Visitors will find that the character of Princes Town emerges through local food, religious festivals, cricket, conversation and the unhurried movement between town and countryside rather than through a concentrated collection of monumental attractions.

When is the best time to visit Princes Town?

Best: June–August · 30°C
Average daytime high and rainfall by month
MonthHigh (°C)Rainfall (mm)
January2978
February2968
March2957
April3043
May3030
June (best)3024
July (best)3022
August (best)3023
September3029
October3042
November2955
December2969

Getting to and around Princes Town

How to get there

Princes Town is reached by road from Trinidad’s south and central districts, with the Southern Main Road and connecting routes linking it to San Fernando, Chaguanas and communities in the south-central interior. Public transport generally consists of scheduled buses and privately operated maxi-taxis, although services to smaller villages may be less frequent. Piarco International Airport, near Port of Spain, is the country’s principal international gateway and lies in north-central Trinidad rather than in Princes Town; travellers continuing from the airport normally need a road transfer. There is no passenger railway serving the town, so a hired car, taxi or organised transfer is often the most straightforward option for exploring the wider district.

Transportation

The central part of Princes Town is manageable on foot for local shops, services and nearby civic buildings, but the wider region is dispersed across villages, farms and forest roads. Buses and maxi-taxis connect the town with larger southern settlements, while taxis and private cars provide greater flexibility for rural attractions and evening travel. Roads can be narrow, winding or uneven outside the centre, and driving is on the left. Visitors using a hired car should allow for changing road conditions, limited roadside lighting and occasional congestion around town-centre activity. Confirm rural directions locally rather than relying solely on a map.

Best attractions in Princes Town

Princes Town’s attractions are spread between its modest town centre and the surrounding southern countryside. The Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church represents the area’s long mission and parish tradition, while local streets and community institutions reveal the practical character of a regional Trinidadian town. Outside the centre, the Devil’s Woodyard at New Grant is the district’s most distinctive natural attraction: bubbling mud volcanoes and small cones create an unusual landscape shaped by subterranean geological activity. The surrounding villages, cocoa country and forested roads offer a different kind of sightseeing, with roadside stalls, small farms and wide views across the south-central interior. Visitors interested in cultural history can explore the area’s churches, schools and plantation-influenced settlement patterns, while local festivals and community events provide insight into the traditions that shaped modern Princes Town. These experiences are dispersed rather than arranged as a compact tourist circuit, making local orientation and sensible transport planning valuable.

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Best landmarks in Princes Town

Princes Town’s principal landmarks are connected to religion, colonial administration and the town’s role as a service centre for surrounding villages. Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church recalls the Catholic mission tradition that began with Mission Savanna Grande in the eighteenth century and remains central to the area’s religious identity. Local Anglican and Presbyterian churches, together with schools and civic buildings, reflect the denominational and institutional growth of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, although their importance is often best understood through local history rather than monumental scale. The name Princes Town itself is a historical landmark in cultural form, linking the settlement to Prince Alfred’s 1869 visit. Beyond the built centre, the Devil’s Woodyard mud volcanoes at New Grant form a geological landmark for the wider district, connecting the town’s human history with Trinidad’s active and unusual natural landscape.

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Best restaurants in Princes Town

Dining in Princes Town reflects southern Trinidad’s Indo-Trinidadian, Afro-Trinidadian and Creole influences, with everyday meals often more revealing than formal restaurant settings. Roti, doubles, sada roti, curry dishes, callaloo, pelau, bake and shark-style fried breads, and stewed or grilled meats appear across the wider regional food culture, although individual menus vary. Small eateries, takeaway counters, bakeries and roadside vendors serve practical meals for residents, while the town market and local shops are useful places to encounter seasonal produce and snacks. Cocoa-growing country adds an agricultural dimension, although visitors should not assume that every seller offers estate-made chocolate or cocoa products. Dining is generally informal, and local advice can help identify reliable establishments and the day’s specialities. Nearby villages may offer food stalls rather than a formal dining district, so opening patterns and payment options can differ considerably between businesses.

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Best bars in Princes Town

Princes Town’s evening scene is modest and locally oriented rather than built around large clubs or a concentrated entertainment quarter. Small bars, rum shops and social venues provide spaces for conversation, music and televised sport, while community events, religious gatherings and seasonal celebrations can be more important to local nightlife than ticketed entertainment. The town centre is generally livelier during ordinary commercial hours, and quieter streets should be approached cautiously after dark. Visitors seeking a broader choice of established bars, restaurants and late-evening venues may find more options in larger southern centres such as San Fernando, subject to transport arrangements. Evening cultural life in Princes Town is often tied to village fêtes, live local music, cricket and community festivals, whose dates and locations change rather than following a permanent nightlife calendar.

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Best nightclubs in Princes Town

Princes Town’s evening scene is modest and locally oriented rather than built around large clubs or a concentrated entertainment quarter. Small bars, rum shops and social venues provide spaces for conversation, music and televised sport, while community events, religious gatherings and seasonal celebrations can be more important to local nightlife than ticketed entertainment. The town centre is generally livelier during ordinary commercial hours, and quieter streets should be approached cautiously after dark. Visitors seeking a broader choice of established bars, restaurants and late-evening venues may find more options in larger southern centres such as San Fernando, subject to transport arrangements. Evening cultural life in Princes Town is often tied to village fêtes, live local music, cricket and community festivals, whose dates and locations change rather than following a permanent nightlife calendar.

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Best shops in Princes Town

Shopping in Princes Town is centred on practical local commerce rather than a large tourist retail district. Town-centre shops, supermarkets, small specialist businesses and market stalls serve surrounding villages, while the Princes Town market area is useful for fresh produce, provisions, snacks and the everyday rhythms of southern Trinidadian trade. Visitors may find local pepper sauces, preserved foods, seasonal fruit, cocoa-related products and handmade items, though stock varies by seller and season. Roadside stalls beyond the centre can offer agricultural produce directly from small farms, but purchases should be made with cash available in Trinidad and Tobago dollars. The area is not known for a concentration of luxury boutiques or major shopping centres; its retail character lies in informal markets, family businesses and goods connected to local cooking and agriculture.

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Princes Town essentials

Currency and Payment
The currency is the Trinidad and Tobago dollar, written as TTD or TT$. Cards are commonly used by larger businesses, supermarkets, hotels and established restaurants, but smaller shops, market sellers, roadside vendors and some local transport services may accept cash only. Automatic teller machines are available in larger settlements, although visitors should not assume that every village or rural attraction has one nearby. Carry modest amounts of Trinidad and Tobago dollars and keep cash secure. International cards may attract foreign-exchange or bank charges, so checking arrangements with the card issuer before travelling is sensible.
Safety
Use ordinary urban and rural precautions in Princes Town: keep valuables out of sight, avoid displaying large amounts of cash and take care in quiet areas after dark. Travel by known taxis or established transport arrangements when possible, and avoid walking on poorly lit roads outside the centre at night. Rural visits require additional awareness of uneven ground, slippery paths, open drains and changing weather. Do not enter private land or abandoned plantation structures without permission. Local advice is particularly useful for less signposted countryside attractions, and visitors should remain aware of traffic when walking along main roads.
Emergency Situations
In Trinidad and Tobago, call 999 for the police, 990 for the fire service and 811 for an ambulance. Give the operator the town, road, nearby landmark and direction of travel, as rural addresses may be easier to identify through local place names than formal numbers. International visitors should carry identification, travel insurance details and any essential medical information. For non-urgent medical needs, ask accommodation staff or local authorities about the nearest suitable clinic or hospital rather than assuming that a small village has emergency facilities. Mobile coverage can vary on forest roads, so avoid travelling into remote areas without informing someone of your plans.
Do's and Don'ts
Dress respectfully when visiting churches, cemeteries or religious celebrations, and ask before photographing people, ceremonies or private property. Trinidad and Tobago is socially diverse, so avoid treating Indo-Trinidadian, Afro-Trinidadian, religious or village traditions as curiosities. Greet people politely, queue where appropriate and be patient with the informal pace of small-town services. Tipping is customary for good service in restaurants and for some personal services, but it is not a substitute for fair treatment. Do not litter, trespass on estates or touch religious objects without permission. Public behaviour should remain considerate during festivals, processions and community events.
Local Tips
The town centre is useful for supplies, food and local orientation, while the surrounding villages provide a better sense of the district’s agricultural and cultural landscape. Ask residents or accommodation hosts about current road conditions before heading towards New Grant and the Devil’s Woodyard area, particularly after heavy rain. Pair visits to churches or heritage sites with a stop at a local eatery rather than expecting a concentrated museum district. Southern Trinidad’s countryside is best experienced with time for roadside produce stalls, village cricket grounds and changing views, but rural excursions should be planned around daylight and available transport.
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From Eve

Local phrases worth knowing

You don't need to get them perfect. A few words go a long way, and locals appreciate the effort.

6 phrase groups · English, local and pronunciation

Basics
EnglishLocalSay it
HelloWaa gwaan[wah gwaan]
GoodbyeLater[lay-ter]
YesYes[yes]
NoNah[nah]
Please/You're welcomePlease/Tank yuh[pleez/tank yuh]
Thank youTank yuh[tank yuh]
Excuse me/SorrySarry[sar-ee]
How are you?How yuh doin?[hao yuh doin]
Fine. And you?Ahright. An yuh?[ah-rite. an yuh]
Do you speak English?Yuh speak English?[yuh speak ing-glish]
I don't understandAh doh understan[ah doh un-der-stand]
Eating & Drinking
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to see the menu, pleaseLemme see de menu, please[lem-mi see deh men-yu, pleez]
I don't eat meatAh doh eat meat[ah doh eet meet]
Cheers!Cheers![cheers]
I would like to pay, pleaseLemme pay, please[lem-mi pay, pleez]
Emergencies
EnglishLocalSay it
Help!Help![help]
Go away!Go way![go way]
Call the Police!Call de Police![call deh po-lice]
Call a doctor!Call ah doctor![call ah doc-tor]
I'm lostAh loss[ah loss]
I'm illAh sick[ah sik]
Shopping
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to buy...Ah wud like tuh buy...[ah wud like tuh buy]
I'm just lookingAh jes lookin[ah jess look-in]
How much is it?How much dis is?[hao much dis is]
That's too expensiveDat too expensive[dat too ex-pen-siv]
Can you lower the price?Yuh cud drop de price?[yuh kud drop deh price]
Time & Numbers
EnglishLocalSay it
What time is it?What time it is?[what time it is]
It's one o'clockIt one o'clock[it one o-clock]
Half past (10)Half pass ten[half pass ten]
MorningMornin[morn-in]
AfternoonAfternoon[af-ter-noon]
EveningEvenin[even-in]
YesterdayYesterday[yes-ter-day]
TodayToday[to-day]
TomorrowTomorrow[to-mor-row]
1One[wan]
2Two[too]
3Tree[tree]
4Fo'[faw]
5Five[fai-v]
6Six[siks]
7Seven[sev-en]
8Eight[ate]
9Nine[nyne]
10Ten[ten]
Transport & Directions
EnglishLocalSay it
Where's a/the...?Whea de...?[wea de]
What's the address?What de address?[what de address]
Can you show me (on the map)?Yuh cud show me (on de map)?[yuh kud show me (on de map)]
When's the next (bus)?When de nex (bus)?[when deh neks (bus)]
A ticket (to ....)A ticket (to ....)[a ticket (to)]

History of Princes Town

Before the Mission Settlement

The landscape around present-day Princes Town formed part of Trinidad’s wider Indigenous world before Spanish colonisation. Indigenous peoples used the island’s forests, waterways and cultivated clearings, although the documentary record for the specific settlement area is limited. Spanish authority remained relatively thin for much of the colonial period, and the southern interior was shaped by movement between estates, mission communities and forested districts rather than by a single dense urban centre. The area’s later development therefore grew from both older Indigenous geography and colonial efforts to organise settlement, agriculture and religious instruction.

Mission Savanna Grande, 1786

The settlement now called Princes Town began as Mission Savanna Grande in 1786, when Capuchin missionaries established a Roman Catholic mission in the southern interior under Spanish rule. Missions were intended to convert and settle Indigenous communities, while also extending colonial administration beyond the island’s established coastal centres. The mission’s presence gave the area an enduring Catholic identity and helped create a focal point for roads, farms and surrounding villages. Churches and parish traditions in the district preserve part of this early history, although the society that developed around the mission was later transformed by plantation expansion, migration and emancipation.

Plantations and a Changing Population

During the nineteenth century, the district was drawn more firmly into Trinidad’s sugar economy. Plantations altered the countryside, concentrated land ownership and brought together enslaved Africans, free people of African descent, European estate interests and, after emancipation, indentured labourers from India. The end of slavery in the 1830s did not end plantation dependence; instead, new labour systems and village settlement reshaped the social landscape. African and Indo-Trinidadian customs, religious traditions, agricultural knowledge and cuisines became part of the cultural character associated with Princes Town and the surrounding communities.

From Mission Savanna Grande to Princes Town

The name Princes Town was adopted in the nineteenth century in connection with the visit of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, to Trinidad in 1869. The change marked the settlement’s growing civic importance within the colonial administration, although Mission Savanna Grande continued to survive in historical and local usage. Roads, schools, churches and commercial activity gradually strengthened the town’s role as a service centre for the south-central districts. Its development was linked to the wider plantation economy, but also to small farming, village enterprise and the expanding networks connecting inland communities with San Fernando and other parts of Trinidad.

Agriculture, Independence and Modern Princes Town

The twentieth century brought the gradual decline of sugar’s dominance, alongside the growth of public institutions, education, commerce and transport. Cocoa, provisions and small-scale farming remained important to the surrounding countryside, while migration and national development connected local families to towns and cities across Trinidad and Tobago and abroad. After independence in 1962, Princes Town continued as a regional administrative and commercial centre rather than becoming a large industrial city. Its present character reflects this layered history: mission churches, plantation-era landscapes, Indo-Trinidadian and Afro-Trinidadian cultural traditions, and a countryside still marked by agriculture and forest.

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Plan your perfect trip to Princes Town, Trinidad and Tobago with Evendo, the all-in-one travel guide app that offers comprehensive information on attractions, restaurants, hotels, and more.

  • History of Princes Town and travel essentials for a smooth visit.
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  • Curated local tips for an authentic experience.
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Welcome to Princes Town, a gem in Trinidad and Tobago, where culture, history, and nature come alive. With Evendo, your travel guide to Princes Town, you'll explore this vibrant town like never before. Discover the serene beauty of the Moruga Beach, delve into the history at the Indian Caribbean Museum, or bask in the architectural splendor of the St. Stephen's Anglican Church.

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