El Cerro del Aripo, at , is the highest point in the Republic of

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...

. It is part of the Aripo Massif and is located in the

Northern Range The Northern Range is the range of tall hills across north Trinidad, the major island in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The hills range from the Chaguaramas peninsula on the west coast to Toco in the east. The Northern Range covers appro ...

on the island of

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...

, northeast of the town of

Arima Arima, officially The Royal Chartered Borough of Arima is the easternmost and second largest in area of the three boroughs of Trinidad and Tobago. It is geographically adjacent to Sangre Grande and Arouca at the south central foothills of the ...

. El Cerro del Aripo lies on the border of the St. George and St.Andrew Counties in the biodiverse

. Unlike many of Trinidad's mountain peaks, El Cerro del Aripo has a flat summit from which no views are available. Its climate is

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones immediately to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Ge ...

. Due to constant fog and cloud cover, temperature may decrease significantly at night compared to the lowlands, and the orographic influence of the

produces rainfall in the region that is the highest in the country, possibly exceeding 3500 mm per year. These climate factors of high rainfall, humidity (as fog and cloud), relatively lower temperatures and high winds permit the persistence of Elfin woodland and

cloud forest A cloud forest, also called a water forest, primas forest, or tropical montane cloud forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, Montane forest, montane, Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, moist forest characteri ...

at the summit, and tropical montane forest on the slopes and upper valleys below. El Cerro del Aripo is home to the golden treefrog, only found in the highest peaks in Trinidad and the Paria Peninsula, Venezuela . The constant cloud/fog cover and lower temperatures associated with the region's high elevation and that support

Cloud Forest A cloud forest, also called a water forest, primas forest, or tropical montane cloud forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, Montane forest, montane, Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, moist forest characteri ...

or Elfin Woodland are also factors important to the survival of the elusive frog. It inhabits a type of water-collecting epiphytic bromeliad found at these elevations. Also restricted to the relatively cooler and wetter tropical cloud and montane forests of Cerro del Aripo and other higher reaches of the

is the endemic so-called Luminous Lizard ''Riama shrevei''. The mountain lies above the Heights of Aripo Village and Aripo and Guanapo river valleys. Springs that emanate from the Aripo Massif form the headwaters of the Caroni River's largest tributaries. The Guanapo river valley features interesting rock gorges associated with these fast flowing streams. The southern slopes and valleys below the Aripo Massif host a number of caves including the Aripo Cave. The Aripo Cave is home to a large

oilbird The oilbird (''Steatornis caripensis''), locally known as the , is a bird species found in the northern areas of South America including the Caribbean island of Trinidad. It is the only living species in the genus ''Steatornis'', the family Stea ...

colony, and features stunning stalactite and stalagmite formations. El Cerro del Aripo is accessible for hikers, and is located near the world-famous

Asa Wright Nature Centre The Asa Wright Nature Centre and Lodge is a nature resort and scientific research station in the Arima Valley of the Northern Range in Trinidad and Tobago. The centre is one of the top birdwatching spots in the Caribbean; a total of 256 specie ...

. The centre is a bird-watching hotspot and is one of the most biodiverse areas in the West Indies and over 400 species of birds can be viewed from there.

References

*Dominique De-Light, Polly Thomas: ''The Rough Guide to Trinidad and Tobago''.

Rough Guides Rough Guides is a travel company that offers tailor-made trips planned and arranged by local travel experts based in destinations around the world. Originally established as a guidebook publisher in 1982, Rough Guides expanded into customized t ...

2001, , p. 167

External links

''Mount Aripo''
at the

Encyclopædia Britannica The is a general knowledge, general-knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It has been published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. since 1768, although the company has changed ownership seven times. The 2010 version of the 15th edition, ...

Mountains of Trinidad and Tobago Highest points of countries Trinidad (island) {{Highest points of North America

See also

References

External links