Maracas - St. Joseph Loop

I started this trail at the corner of the Eastern Main Road and Scot Street in St. Augustine at 10.648383°N and -61.405714°W. This area is extremely busy with both motor vehicular and pedestrian traffic and is the focal point of most of the commercial activity for the St. Augustine and Curepe area. I headed west along Sellier Street then north along Frederick Street and west along Narine Trace. I entered the La Joya Complex through the back entrance at the St. Joseph River. La Joya is located at 10.652419°N and -61.412884°W and hosts meetings, conferences, and sporting activities. From there I walked north along Abercromby Street and then into St. Joseph Park. This is located at 10.655242°N and -61.413901°W. St. Joseph was the first capital of Trinidad and Tobago. It was founded in 1592 and named San José de Oruña and served as the Spanish capital between 1592 and 1783. Sir Walter Rayleigh attacked in 1595 and the capital was held and used as a staging base for the exploration of the Orinoco River in search of the lost city of El Dorado.
From St. Joseph Park I ventured west along Buena Vista Street located at 10.657365°N and -61.414248°W past Armoury Square. This area is residential with lots of dogs that are usually fenced in but extremely ferocious and noisy. You’d make your way past the security post through Elizabeth Gardens Villas and after a very steep downhill trek follows a very long and steep uphill trek. Most of the way is partially paved but this gradually bottles away into a dirt track and eventually a hiking trail.
Along most of the way there are exceptional views of the valleys below. However care must be taken as you approach the banks as the drops are steep and some sections are not steady. I also discovered that someone had an apiary along the hillside so there are lots of bees in one section of the initial incline. This is marked by a waypoint on this trail.
The trail is in fairly good condition and very clearly marked. I am not sure how far it goes but I assume that it may end up somewhere between Aranguez and San Juan. I went as far at the final waypoint marker on this map but the trail continued for some distance beyond. I am told that sections of it probably 200 metres further along are overgrown. This might be worth taking a look at. There are really good views and a constant cool wind from the east at the top of the incline where I marked. On the way back down there are several small variations that one can take of just follow the way you took up. You can also explore a bit more of the St. Joseph area and also do some of the St. Augustine side of it as well.
Happy Trails.