Paramin Village, Trinidad

Three years ago I toured Paramin for the first time and fell in love with it. This village is stunning – the scenery, the variety of panoramic views, and even the crops on the steep hillside are mesmerising. I kept wondering how people were able to plant on such steep terrain in the first place. 

This is one of the few communities where some of the older residents still speak French patois. In fact there is even a church service on Dimanche Gras fully in Patois. 

Located high in the hills between Maraval and Diego Martin, Paramin’s air is clean and crisp, and it is here that the famous seasonings that are sought out nationwide are grown. In the wee hours of the morning, panel jeeps chock full of seasonings and other crops drive out of Paramin, market bound. During the Christmas season the village comes alive with sweet sounds of Parang music, and at Carnival the blue devils come out in their numbers in what has become an important feature on the Carnival schedule. At other times, Paramin is quiet and set apart from the pace of the neighboring villages and city that it looks onto. It is a gem that immediately transports you to a place of tranquility.

On Wednesday, the rain was giving us a break and the sun was making its appearance. We jumped in the car and headed to Paramin, a bit concerned as to how we were going to get up the notoriously steep winding road from Maraval Village, as my car does not possess anything resembling 4X4 capabilities. Remembering there is a road off the North Coast Road that leads to Paramin as well, we felt more confident and headed in that direction. This road is less steep and winding and is definitely the way to go if you are checking out Paramin for the first time.

We excitedly chugged up the long grooved concrete road to the breath-takingly beautiful village I remembered from my visit years ago. We took our time, enjoying the views and marvelling at how bright green everything was, from the crops to the leafy underbrush. The sound of birds accompanied us as we made our way in a light drizzle through the village. We only encountered a handful of people, most of whom were passengers in vehicles (the famous Paramin jeeps) that passed us on the way. With the seclusion, the fresh air and the beautiful rolling hills, it was hard not to break out into Fraulein Maria’s "The Hills are Alive".

Near the end of our tour, we found ourselves at the Paramin church. We were lucky to find that it was open, and some lovely ladies allowed us to take a look around. They proudly put on the inside fountain and pointed out the fish that were swimming in it. It was an amazing way to end our drive, as this church is a delight to view. It is intricately decorated and well maintained, from the shining floors and polished wooden pews to the stunning stained glasses windows.

As we left we bravely chose the steep, winding main road, which appeared less daunting driving down. Before we knew it we were back in Maraval, energised and at peace.

Aisha and Ariann are ready to reacquaint themselves with and in some cases ‘meet’ Trinidad and Tobago. Follow as these two travel to different places and interact with a multitude of faces while ‘Discovering T&T’.