Chacachacare

Abandoned Nun's Quarters, Chacachacare

Chacachacare is an island in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago located at 10° 41' north latitude and 61° 45' west longitude. It is one of the "Bocas Islands", which lie in the Bocas del Dragón (Dragons' Mouth) between Trinidad and Venezuela. Chacachacare in the westernmost of the Bocas Islands which belong to Trinidad and Tobago. Patos Island, which lies further west, was part of Trinidad and Tobago until 1940 when it was ceded to Venezuela.

Originally named El Caracol (the Snail) by Christopher Columbus because of its shape. At various times in its history Chacachacare has served as a cotton plantation, a whaling station and a leper colony. Venezuelan revolutionary Santiago Mariño used Chacachacare as a base for his 1813 invasion of Venezuela.

Tropical dry forest, Chacachacare

Map of Chacachacare

Trinidad and Tobago dry forest on Chacachacare showing the dry-season deciduous nature of the vegetation

Today Chacachacare remains uninhabited except for staff maintaining a Lighthouse on the island. It is also regularly used for camping and visits by recreational boats. Many Trinidadians go to this island, as well as Monos and Huevos for vacations and day trips, which they call "going down the islands, or in Trinidadian terms, "goin down d islands".

History

The island was spotted by Christopher Columbus on his third New World voyage in 1498. He named the island 'Port of Cats' because many wildcats lived on the island. The island later became a nuns quarters and a leper colony. In 1942, 1,000 U.S. Marines were stationed on Chacachacare and built barracks on the island. The island was abandoned by the 1980s when the nuns left their quarters and when the last leper that was on the island died in 1984. The colony had been abandoned since.

In 2006, Donald Trump visited Chacachacare during the Miss Universe contest and thought of having a casino and hotel built on the island; however the idea has not been pursued.

See also

• Islands of Trinidad and Tobago

References

• Anthony, Michael (2001). Historical Dictionary of Trinidad and Tobago. Scarecrow Press, Inc. Lanham, Md., and London. ISBN 0-8108-3173-2.

External links

• Chacachacare: The sad legacy of an idyllic island in the Caribbean - Tri-City Herald
• Chacachacare Interactive Map - Chaguaramas Development Authority.