Santa Cruz, Trinidad and Tobago
The Santa Cruz Valley stretches between Maraval and San Juan, along the Saddle Road. It lies between the hills of the Northern Range on the island of Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago.
Formerly an important cacao bean producer, much of the valley consists of abandoned cacao plantations or small-scale agriculture. The Santa Cruz Valley is considered prime residential real estate, and many upscale residential developments like Riverside Park, have begun sprouting in the valley. Small villages that form part of Upper Santa Cruz are Cangrejal, Jagan village, Hololo Road, Paxvale, Cantaro, Graceland Heights,Gasparillo, Sam-Boucaud, La Pastora Settlement,Soconusco Settlement and Pipiol. Lower Santa Cruz consists of La Canoa and Bourg Mulatresse, commonly referred to as "Book" in local vernacular. Compared to Upper Santa Cruz, which has a quaint charisma characterized by its rustic tranquility, Lower Santa Cruz is more developed.
Santa Cruz is home for a few Primary and Secondary Schools in Trinidad. Some Primary Schools include the; La Pastora Government Primary School, Santa Cruz Presbyterian School, Cantaro Roman Catholic School and Bourg Mulatresse Primary School. San Juan North Secondary School is also situated in the Lower Santa Cruz Valley and it was constructed along the mountain side in Bourg Mulatresse near the Bourg Mulatresse Primary School.
Along the Saddle Road, Santa Cruz has two major supermarkets the; Uncle Beddoe's Supermarket and Santa Cruz Food Basket. There are two Postal Delivery Offices and Fuel Stations; Bourg Mulatresse and Cantaro.
Santa Cruz is also home for the Santa Cruz Police Station and Santa Cruz Fire Station. The Santa Cruz Fire Station houses the elite Land Search and Rescue Team, this team responds to all search and rescue calls within the Northern Division dealing with automobile accidents, fire emergencies, North Coast Road mishaps and assisting EMTs in responding to medical emergencies beyond road access.
Many of Trinidad and Tobago's respected citizens come from this small town, including world-renowned West Indian cricketer Jeffrey Stollmeyer, world-renowned athlete Ato Boldon, poet Eintou Pearl Springer, top parang band The Lara Brothers and Soca star Sanelle Dempster, cricketers Dwayne Bravo, Darren Bravo footballer Arnold Dwarika and textbook author Adesh Seuraj. However, the most admired and adored person from this town is undoubtedly Brian Charles Lara, the retired West Indian cricketer, who is widely regarded as one of the finest batsmen ever to have played the game.
From upper Santa Cruz, famous Maracas Beach, a national hotspot, is a conservative 20 minutes away by car.
Coordinates: 10°43′N 61°28′W / 10.717°N 61.467°W