Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine October 2018 | Page 628

Santa Rosa Carib Community Manzanilla Beach The first inhabitants of Trinidad were Amerindians who travelled up the Antillean chain from South America. The guardians of the island’s indigenous heritage are centered in the Carib Santa Rosa Community in the village of Arima. At their Santa Rosa Festival held at the end of August, a statue of Santa Rosa de Lima, their patron saint is carried by members of the community, through the streets of Arima. Their heritage is also celebrated in October during First People’s Heritage Week with a religious service, smoke ceremony and procession. Amerindian food is also part of the celebration. “The Santa Rosa Amerindian Community is the only organized area of Amerindian Survival in Trinidad and Tobago.” Read more [...] Photo © Santa Rosa Community Located on Trinidad’s east coast, this is a well-visited beach, scenic with coconut trees and a board walk. It is quite popular with locals especially on holidays and weekends. For the guests who prefer to be away from the busy city of Port-of-Spain, they can stay at one of the resorts in the area.