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Trinidad is not piña colada territory. That’s part of its allure: Unlike virtually every other Caribbean island, the oil-rich country seven miles off Venezuela is not driven by tourism—which means that in lieu of sunbathing hordes and “Yah, Mon” T-shirts, you’ll find miles of unspoiled beaches and waterfalls visited by locals; a Creole culture with roots in Africa, India, Europe and China; and a bustling capital city offering some of the Caribbean’s most electrifying night life. Partying, after all, is a national tradition in Trinidad, home to an annual Carnival that is the region’s biggest. That, along with recent restaurant and hotel openings and trendy Trini ambassadors—from the rappers Nicki Minaj and Theophilus London to the Project Runway winner Anya Ayoung Chee—might just turn Trinidad into the next “it” island.

Friday 3pm
Urban Tropics
Caribbean islands aren’t usually celebrated for their capital cities, but Port of Spain is a gem worth exploring on foot. Here you can shop for locally mixed reggae and soca CDs in busy Independence Square, gaze at the ornate Victorian-style houses known as the Magnificent Seven alongside the Queen’s Park Savannah—Trinidad’s version of Central Park, with coconut water vendors in lieu of hot-dog carts—and stroll around the posh-yet-funky Woodbrook neighborhood. There, you can glimpse a burgeoning visual and performance art scene at Alice Yard (80 Roberts Street; aliceyard.blogspot.com), a historic house turned gallery and creative hub, and shop for Caribbean couture, including avant-garde Carnival costumes, at Satchel’s House (6 Carlos Street; 868-627-8640; meilinginc.com), the charming new boutique owned by the local designer Meiling.

8 pm
Liming on the Avenue
“Liming”—hanging out, usually with alcohol—is a rigorous sport in Trinidad. Its hub is the night-life strip Ariapita Avenue in the Woodbrook section, known as the Avenue. Bars, lounges and public bacchanal (as Trinidadians put it) abound. Visit the indoor-outdoor bar Stumblin (42 Ariapita Avenue; 868-223-5017; stumblintt.com) For something more upscale, nearby More Sushi (23 O’Connor Street; 868-622-8466) serves up scrumptious rolls: the one called Iron Chef features crab salad wrapped in salmon ($88 TT, or $14 US); the Suzie Veggie ($68) is made from plantain and pineapple salsa; the Juju ($88) has salmon and tuna with a dollop of curried mayo.

11 pm Tripster Central
Opened last year in Woodbrook, Drink! Wine Bar (63 Rosalino Street; 868-622-2895) is a lounge and outdoor hangout catering to a budding clientele of  “Tripsters”—Trinidadian hipsters (same skinny jeans, different accent).

Saturday
10 am
Get your tourist on at Maracas Beach—a 45-minute drive north of Port of Spain, is as close as Trinidad gets to a commercial beach. Never mind the water, though; head straight to the humble food stalls and taste what folks flock for: bake-and-shark—a hunk of fried, breaded shark tucked inside a doughnut-like bun, dripping with mouthwatering condiments. Then keep moving, 14 miles north to Blanchisseuse, where a stunning stretch of oft-deserted beach is calmer and quieter, and Marianne Bay offers respite from the heat. Still feeling outdoorsy? Take a 30-minute hike along the Marianne River, through lush greenery and dramatic bamboo forests, and cool down in beautiful Avocat Falls.

6 pm
Brazil Trini-style
The romantic setting—a handsomely restored Creole house—is classically Trini, but the food is a continent away: newly-opened Ipanema (12 Victoria Avenue; 868-625-0711) offers churrasco-style dining, allowing carnivores to indulge in beef, pork, chicken, lamb and sausage ($650, plus tax and tip). There are seafood and vegetarian options, too.

8 pm
Steel and glass
Trinidad invented the steel pan, said to be one of the few instruments born in the 20th century. Take in a concert at the gleaming National Academy for the Performing Arts (Frederick Street and Queen’s Park East; 868-625-8519; Port of Spain). Opened in 2009, it features a 500-seat performance hall, steel pan classrooms and a diverse performance schedule.

11 pm
VVIP
Trini revelers love their VIP sections—not to mention their VVIP and, yes, VVVIP sections. See how high up Port of Spain’s VIP ladder you can climb by negotiating past those velvet ropes at the popular 51 Degrees nightclub (51 Cipriani Boulevard; 868-627-0051; 51degrees.biz). During Carnival season, which runs roughly from just after Christmas into February, you’ll find the place crammed with revelers representing the Carnival band they’ll parade with on the big day (this year, February 21). Most popular of these all-inclusive bands—and responsible for plenty of all-you-can-drink extravaganzas during the season—are Island People (islandpeoplemas.com) and Tribe (carnivaltribe.com), whose costumes have been known to sell out within minutes of going on sale.

Sunday 7 am
Doubles Feast
What could possibly justify such an early wake-up call? One word: doubles. The breakfast street staple (fried Indian-style bara filled with curried chickpea and spicy pepper sauce) can be found all over the island, but those who take their doubles seriously (that is, all Trinidadians) head to the town of Curepe. Devotees can go right to the little-known source: the Doubles Factory in El Socorro.

9 am Little India
Once you’re in central Trinidad, you might start wondering what country you’re in: the region is the historic hub of Trinidad’s East Indian community, which has roots in the 19th century, when indentured servants were brought to the island from Asia.
In Chaguanas, about 11 miles south of Port of Spain, shop for spices and silk flowers in cluttered shops and markets, then pay homage to the Nobel laureate VS Naipaul at the trapezoid-shaped Lion House, immortalised in his 1961 novel, A House for Mr Biswas.
Pose alongside a flamboyant 85-foot statue of the Hindu god Hanuman, rising above the humble village of Carapichaima like a surreal piece of Las Vegas in Trinidad. Nearby, the majestic Temple by the Sea at Waterloo is sure to generate meditative moods.

2 pm Buffet, with music
If you don’t leave Trinidad with your belly bursting, you haven’t really been to Trinidad. The Sunday brunch buffet ($300) at the newly-opened Chaud Creole in the tony, suburban St Ann’s section of Port of Spain (6 Nook Avenue; 868-621-2002; chaudcreole.com) can prevent such a tragedy. All the local favorites are on full display at this chic respite from the hustle-and-bustle, from souse (spicy pickled pig or chicken feet) to flour dumplings boiled in coconut milk, handmade rotis and curries galore. Added attraction: live classical guitar entertainment.

If you go
• The Hyatt Regency Trinidad (1 Wrightson Road, Port of Spain; 868-623-2222; trinidad.hyatt.com) is the island’s biggest hotel, with 418 rooms and ten suites. It has all the makings of a flawless stay: central downtown location, an infinity pool with stunning views of the Gulf of Paria, stellar service and a breakfast buffet of local favorites. Doubles from $144.
• The Carlton Savannah (2-4 Coblentz Avenue; 868-621-5000; thecarltonsavannah.com), opened in 2009, brings SoHo to the southern Caribbean. The minimalist 155-room hotel, in the quiet Cascade area, just off the Savannah, is all sleek lines and funky décor. Doubles from $159.
• For a cosier option, check in at the Coblentz Inn (44 Coblentz Avenue, Cascade; 868-621-0541), a boutique hotel in Port of Spain’s serene Cascade section.
Ten of its 17 rooms, all with kitchenettes, have themes related to well-known Trinidadian locals: The Oval, for instance, celebrates Trinidad’s cricket culture and features a mural of the famous batsman Brian Lara. There’s also the room no one wants to admit to wanting to spend more than a few nights in—The Rum Shop. Doubles from $125. (New York Times)