The Turtles

What puts Grande Riviere beach on the map as unique are the hundreds of leatherback turtles that emerge every night from the sea from March to September to lay their eggs. Later in the season, one can also enjoy watching hatchlings surface from the sand, making their way to the sea.

Turtle watching is always done under the supervision of an authorised guide.

The Beach

Grand Riviere Beach gets its name from the wide river of the same name which empties out into the Caribbean Sea at the eastern end of the beach along the unspoiled North Coast of Trinidad.

Located after you pass Sans Souci but before Matelot, Grand Riviere beach is just over 1 km in length and is composed of coarse quartz-rich sand. It is one of the most important nesting grounds for the Leatherback Turtle, boasting hundreds of sightings per night during the months of March to August.

Hiking and Exploring

If you like adventure, try hiking to one of the many waterfalls in the rainforest

Surfing

“Grande Riviere beach is a sheltered beach-break that is very popular among surfers. The optimum wind direction blows from the south and southwest, while the ideal swell direction is from the north. The swell size starts working at 1-1.5 m/3-5 ft and holds up to 3 m/10 ft. The site provides both left and right hand waves and accommodates all kind of surfers. In addition, the best tide position is mid and high tide and the ideal tide movement is rising tides. At summer the wind blows onshore 72%, at autumn it blows 67%, at winter 83% and at spring 62%.”