Golden sand. Beach shacks and cold beer. Perfect street food.
Maracas Beach isn’t just the best beach on the island of Trinidad. It’s the best place on the whole island. The sand is perfect, a coastline edged by Trinidad’s verdant green hills. The palms are straight out of a Corona commercial, angled and friendly. And then there are the beach shacks.
You can’t choose. They’re a combination of fixed-roof stalls and tents, each one with a name. Natalie’s. Richard’s. Mom’s. And while they offer up cold Stag or Carib and Angostura, they’re really trying to sell one thing in particular.
It’s called Bake ’n Shark, and it’s the most famous sandwich in Trinidad (and, some might say, the Southern Caribbean). The recipes vary, mostly in sauces and spices, but they follow a simple formula. Two “bakes,” that is, fried bread like a fry jack, with a fried filet of some maritime creature.
Now, as you might expect, that meat is usually shark meat, typically from blacktip sharks, although in recent years, for a variety of reasons, that has expanded sometimes to other fish like kingfish and, increasingly into things like chicken. (A bake ’n chicken can be a worthy substitute).
Shark is not without controversy, something made deeper by the fact that this sandwich is such an essential part of the culture in Trinidad.
I won’t comment on the use of shark; I will admit that my first bake n’ shark experience is indelibly imprinted on my memory — and it remains one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten.
What goes without saying is that here on Maracas Bay, bake ’n shark is a staple, and part of the fabric of the beach. And even on an island that’s one of the best foodie destinations in the Caribbean —trust me, the food is the number one reason to visit — bake and shark reigns supreme.
It’s about a half-hour trip from Port of Spain to get to the northwestern coast of Trinidad. And when you get here, you feel like you’ve found a completely different island: it’s a world away from the industry and urban energy of Port of Spain, ethereal and breathtaking. It’s far more like the sister island of Tobago, actually.
It’s a side of the island that’s far away from the typical images you get from the Caribbean’s most famous carnival (something that is itself a bucket-list box to tick). And it’s a reminder of just how diverse a place Trinidad is, despite its position far off the radar of most Caribbean travel aficionados.
Here in Maracas, you get a deep, immersive taste of Trinidad. And some pretty spectacular sandwiches, too.
How do you get to Trinidad? Port of Spain has regular service from several US cities, including from Miami on American Airlines (flights at $294 right now) and New York on both JetBlue and Caribbean Airlines, although JetBlue is cheaper at about $394 roundtrip.
