El Cerro Del Aripo

After a night's sleep start off early from the Western side of Paria Springs Estate and hike up the steep slopes for at least four hours to the summit of El Cerro del Aripo. Along the way pass through cocoa estates into lower montane rain forest. Hike along the side of a waterfall as you pass through some of Trinidad's most beautiful and bio-diverse forests. Near the top is montane rain forest and at the summit is elfin woodlands. In the woodlands the trees are short, about 20 feet tall, and their trunks are covered with ferns and mosses. Here the air is much cooler than at base camp. All this combined gives the summit a very prehistoric feel. The bio-diversity of these habitats is amazing, you will hike through Manakin leks, we will stop and use various calls to attract birds which may fly right passed you, some of the rare birds that live in the high hills, such as the Brown Violetear, or Hepatic, Blue-crowned, or Swallow Tanagers. If luck is on your side an encounter with an Ocelot (a wild cat) are a rare but beautiful experience. Usually this hike takes between 10 to 12 hours to complete. Passes through some of Trinidad's most rugged terrain are oftentimes quite muddy on steep slopes, therefore it is only for the fit hiker.

The hike is quite difficult. Departure from your hotel is at 6:00 am and you return at approximately 8:00 p.m. It is recommended to spend the night prior to this at Paria Springs.