Get ready for a paradise of depth and simplicity. At the foothills of Trinidad's highest mountain, El Cerro Del Aripo, (3,085 feet), is a small mountain village called Aripo with a population of less than 1,000.
Its early inhabitants were the Amerindians, who were later associated with the Arima Mission set up by the Capuchin monks. After the Spanish colonists decimated these early people, the cocoa panyols of South America moved into the area during the early 20th Century to work on the cocoa and coffee estates. By 1949 a new village bearing the name Aripo (meaning: a flat baking stone used in the production of bread) emerged.
In Aripo lies a Turquoise hued six (6) foot waterfall rich in biodiversity due to its bottomless depth. Apart from the deep blue waters, the Aripo River also provides a shallow stream under the forest canopy.
The trek starts off the Aripo Road, a short 5-15 minutes mildly steep downhill walk through the rainforest canopy. At the Aripo River one can dive into the deep turquoise waters and swim with the friendly and fearless small freshwater fishes.
This hike is rated 1 out of 10 (Steep downhill).
