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Tobago map
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Airport
Crown Point International Airport, t 639 0509, airport code TAB, is located at the westernmost point of Tobago and is approximately seven miles from Scarborough the capital. A expansion programme is underway and there is now a new domestic terminal (for Trinidad flights), leaving the current terminal for international flights only. The aircraft ramp is to be enlarged and a number of jetways are planned.
Airside facilities are limited. There are a couple of small duty free shops and a café within the departure lounge. Outside however, immediately opposite the main terminal building, there is mall with a tourist information office, airline offices, a bank, shops, bars and restaurants.
There are currently no airport porters, but trolleys are available free of charge. |
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Banks
International and local commercial banks operating in Tobago include Republic Bank, *Royal Bank of Trinidad & Tobago (RBTT), Bank of Nova Scotia/Scotia Bank and First Citizens Bank.
Bank opening hours are Mon-Thurs, 8am-2pm and Fri 8am-1pm and then 3pm-5pm. Scotia Bank at Gulf City Lowlands Mall is open Mon-Fri from 10am-5pm. You will need to take your passport if cashing travellers cheques. ATMs (VISA, MasterCard and VISA Plus clients) are located at the airport, Pleasant Prospect, PennySavers supermarket, Gulf City Lowlands Mall and in Scarborough.
* The Royal Bank of Canada completed the acquisition of RBTT Financial Group in June 2008. There are no immediate plans to re-brand and RBTT bank will continue to operate under its own brand name for the time being. |
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Bars & Nightlife
Bonkers, Crown Point
Friendly, open-sided bar and restaurant located within the Toucan Inn, with live entertainment several nights per week.
Café Iguana, Crown Point
Bar and restaurant, local fare, known for its cocktails.
Cat & Fiddle, Lambeau
Rustic, pirate ship style pub (sister to Bonkers), attracts a mixed party crowd of all ages for live music and BBQ on Friday nights. Comedy show on Saturdays. Stop press: closed, as part of the redevelopment of hotel, Inn on the Beach, next door.
Diver’s Den, Bon Accord
Bar and grill set in a modern house, not just for the après diving crowd. Some late night drinking.
Golden Star, Crown Point
Famous for its Wednesday night ‘Scouting for Talent’ show which provides an unusual and fun night out. Caribbean music until the wee hours.
Kariwak Village, Crown Point
Popular for it’s Friday and Saturday night buffet dinner with live soca/jazz/pop music, supplied by in-house band, the Kariwak Players.
Alternative, Shirvan Road
Nightclub, often closed out of season.
Seahorse Inn, Grafton Beach Road
Live steel pan Mon and Thurs, and guitarist Tues nights from 8-9pm.
The Shade, inland on the road to Canaan
Opposite the Chinese Plaza inland, lively into late evening.
Sunday School, Buccoo
The highlight of the week, a popular street festival, where music pumps out into the night and everyone generally has a fun time eating, drinking and dancing. Lots of food stalls, people selling local handicrafts and even gaming tables. If you want to listen to the steel bands, then get there early. The evening kicks off at around 9pm.
NIGHTLIFE
Tobago’s nightlife can be surprisingly lively and it sees a good mix of locals and visitors. There are many venues, and they go in and out of vogue, but still, after many years, one of the hottest nights of the week is Sunday, when the popular Sunday School street party takes place in Buccoo (above). Most of the larger hotels will have some form of entertainment but this always finishes early to avoid disturbing guests and neighbours. Look out for the various events that take place during the year, including the Great Fete Weekend, Angostura Tobago Race Week and the Tobago Annual Great Race, which give the islanders another, barely needed excuse for a party. |
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Beach Bars
There are just a few typical Caribbean beach bars in Tobago. Many of the loveliest beaches have either a hotel, where you will find a hotel bar, or they are local beaches, in which case there might be Tobagonian parlour nearby.
Bago's Bar, Pigeon Point Road
Simple bar just across from waterfront at the start of the Pigeon Point Road. Attractive with trelliswork under a tin roof and fairy lights in the evenings. Just away from the activity of Crown Point.
Buccaneers Beach Bar & Grill, Stonehaven Bay
A rustic wooden deck set right above the beach . Serves lunch and dinner. Occasional live music. Margarita Madness happy hour 6-7pm.
Canoe Bay, south coast, off Milford Road (the main road between the airport and Scarborough)
Calm, shallow water and sunshades, so good for families with small children. Small snackbar, changing facilities. Admission TT$12, children under 12 half price, under 5s free.
Cascreole, Castara
Popular, beachfront bar and restaurant serving a selection of local dishes. Pool table and live music Friday evenings.
Heavenly Bay, near Castara
A simple hut on an extremely pretty beach next to Castara. Classic Caribbean. Local juices, good music local chat and island food (you get what’s cooking). Excellent hangout.
Marlin Bar, Club Pigeon Point
Very popular spot for lingering during the day. Closes after sundown, when the last stragglers drift off.
No Problem Bar, Bacolet Bay
Bar on a pretty palm-backed cove beneath the Blue Haven Hotel, just east of Scarborough.
Surfer’s Restaurant & Bar, Mt Irvine Beach Facilities
A functional looking building set on seafront within purpose built beach facilities, serving local and international food. Friday night BBQ with live steel band.
The beach facilities at Speyside have recently been restored. They are set in a garden with gazebos on the fairly rocky beach. There is also a public beach bar in Charlotteville, which sees a mix of locals and visitors, an easy place to while away an afternoon. |
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Beaches
Tobago’s origins, as volcanic rubble pushed up by the movement of tectonic plates, have resulted in mountains in the northeast, but in the south west of the island is a relatively flat coral stone platform. This combination, along with a multitude of fringing coral reefs, has given the island sand that varies in shade from darkish brown to pure white. The island has its palm-backed Caribbean classics, such as Pigeon Point with its blinding white sand, but there are also some delightful remote coves tucked away along the north shore with golden sand and fringed with greenery.
Although many of the beaches have some development by way of a bar or a hotel, and a few have public facilities with showers and flags to indicate safe swimming, others are off the beaten track and untended. There are some lovely remote and local beaches. If you go to one of these, make sure that you have all that you will need in the way of water and food.
Arnos Vale, north coast, beyond Plymouth
Secluded bay within a protected cove with a nice beach and very good snorkelling. Located within Arnos Vale Hotel grounds which has a bar and restaurant down on the beach. Stay for high tea on the Plantation House terrace and watch the birds being fed each day at 4pm.
Canoe Bay, south coast, off Milford Road (the main road between the airport and Scarborough)
Good for families with small children, with calm, shallow water, pleasant beach and lawned areas with thatched sunshades. Small bar serving snacks, changing and restroom facilities, overnight camping available. Admission TT$15, children under 12 half price, under 5s free.
Castara, north coast, midway along island
A lovely stretch of golden sand, with calm waters by a remote fishing village. There are a couple of beach bars/restaurants and a roti shop. Take a walk up the Castara river, which runs through the village, to a waterfall which has a small rockpool.
Englishman’s Bay¸ north coast, just beyond Castara
Wonderful, secluded, picture perfect beach, a gently curving bay fringed by coconut trees. Pure white sand and crystal clear water. Fabulous picnic and snorkelling spot.
King’s Bay, south side, eastern end
Pretty, horseshoe-shaped bay with dark sand, well protected by massive headlands. Calm water and beach facilities including showers and shaded seating.
Man-O-War Bay, northeastern tip
Natural harbour below the fishing village of Charlotteville, with a long stretch of golden, sandy beach. Good for snorkelling. Changing facilities and lifeguards, other secluded, walkable coves.
Mount Irvine Beach, north side, western end
Very popular with public beach facility which houses an art gallery, restaurant serving local food, showers and changing rooms, plus a sheltered picnic area. Sometimes called Surfer’s Beach, as this is the surfing spot in Tobago during the winter season. In the late afternoons local fishermen sell their catch from wooden tables set up on the beach, right by the roadside. Good beach for snorkelling and anchorage.
Parlatuvier Bay, north side, beyond Englishman’s Bay
Remote, picturesque, crescent shaped bay with golden sand, amidst fishing village, strong currents and sea shelf close to shore.
Pigeon Point, western tip
Picture postcard perfection, white sands and drooping palms over turquoise seas, and a quaint, thatched-roof jetty. Ever popular, snack, gift and souvenir shops, changing facilities and watersports operators, including an excellent windsurfing outfit. Can hire a cabana for the day. Access via a gated entrance, daily entrance fee US$3 or a weekly pass.
Pirate’s Bay, eastern end, out of Charlotteville
Secluded, stunning bay backed by lush greenery, within walking distance of Charlotteville along a dirt track, and steep descent, 200 steps down to the beach.
Stonehaven Bay, north shore, western end
Grand, sweeping bay with excellent, dark golden sands, often quite big waves, some watersports. Famous as a nesting spot for endangered giant leatherback turtles.
Store Bay, western end
Small but popular bay with crystalline golden sand and good swimming, popular with both locals and visitors, shower and changing facilities, plus lifeguards. Departure point for trips to Buccoo Reef and Nylon Pool. Also the place to get good local food, such as Crab 'n' Dumpling or Shark 'n' Bake, in the food and craft stalls behind.
Turtle Beach, north shore, western end
A mile long stretch of beach on Great Courland Bay which attracts nesting Giant Leatherback Turtles. |
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Bird-Watching
Tobago boasts an astounding array of birdlife, with over 200 recorded species in just 116 square miles, the tightest concentration of species anywhere in the world. The island is only eclipsed in the Caribbean by Trinidad, which has over 400 species. Tobago’s birdlife has more in common with that in South America than the rest of the Caribbean and the island is on migratory routes from the both northern and southern hemispheres.
The Main Ridge Forest Reserve, which runs along the backbone of the island, is home to a large number of the island’s birds. Covering an area of around 14,000 acres, the land was set aside for protection in 1764 and was officially declared a Crown Reserve by a British Act of Parliament in 1776, making it the oldest forest reserve in the Western Hemisphere, possibly in the world. Some of the birds found in the forest area include the collared trogon, the blue crowned mot mot and a variety of hummingbirds, the most common of which is the copper-rumped hummingbird. You will also see the rufous-breasted hermit, the intriguing white-bearded manakin and the rufous-vented chacachalaca, also known as the cocrico. A member of the turkey family, the cocrico is the national bird of Tobago. It doesn’t look or sound particularly attractive and has a dreadful, very loud call, which is sometimes repeated in unison. Some islanders consider them a pest, but they are protected by law.
Off the north west coast of Tobago is Little Tobago, formerly known as Bird of Paradise Island, after 26 pairs of birds of paradise that were taken there from Papua New Guinea in 1909. The island was donated as a bird sanctuary to the government in 1928. Unfortunately Hurricane Flora in 1963 wiped out most of the island’s vegetation, and the birds struggled to survive. Today none remain. However the island is an important rookery for seabirds, and has a large colony of spectacular red-billed tropic birds, flocks of frigatebirds, red and brown-footed boobies and terns. The 250 acre island boasts up to 58 species of birds and wild fowl and parts of David Attenborough’s “Trials of Life” documentary series were filmed there.
Nearby, off the north coast of Tobago is another bird sanctuary, St Giles Island which is an important breeding ground for colonies (the largest in the southern Caribbean) of seabirds such as frigatebirds, man o’ war and red-billed tropicbirds. At least 24 species of land birds are also to be found there. The island is difficult to access as sea conditions are often rough and can be dangerous, trips are therefore very limited, and are for the serious bird watcher only.
Bird spotting is not limited to the northern parts of Tobago, and everywhere you go, you are bound to spot something interesting. The best time for birding is from dawn to just before 9am and then later on in the afternoon from around 4pm. At the Arnos Vale Hotel, which is set in a cleft surrounded by forest, there is a unique afternoon tea service every day at 4pm, at which numerous birds flock to be fed, some by hand. There are hosts of banaquits, blue-grey/ palm/white-lined tanagers, cocricos, copper-rumped/ruby-topaz hummingbirds, bare-eyed thrushes, red-crowned woodpeckers and blue crowned mot mots.
The former copra plantation, Grafton Caledonian Wildlife Sanctuary at Black Rock, located just behind Stonehaven Villas, evolved into a bird sanctuary when the late owner Eleonor Alefounder began feeding birds following the devastating Hurricane Flora in 1963. Over the years the 4pm feeding time became a feature on island tours, and now some of the birds, including mot mots are so tame they can be fed by hand.
Around the headland off Fort St James, near Plymouth, sunset makes for an interesting time to view the gulls and pelicans diving between the fishing boats, while majestic frigatebirds glide overhead. Amongst the wetlands of Tobago, which include the Bon Accord Lagoon, Petit Trou Lagoon and Lowlands (near the Hilton) and Friendship area, you can expect to find a distinctly different array of birdlife. This includes lapwings, grebes, great/snowy/little egrets, plovers, sandpipers, great blue/little blue and green-backed herons, black-bellied whistling ducks, ospreys and peregrine falcons.
Do not attempt to head out on your own, and do make sure that you go out with a reputable or certified (TTTIC) guide. For guided tours contact:
Darren Henry, Nature Lovers, t 639 4559, darren_tours@yahoo.com or Darren@tobagobirding.com
Trained forester (Diploma in Forestry), Certificate in Tropical Dendrology (Costa Rica), guide with 8 years birding experience
David Rooks, Nature Tours, t 756 8594, rookstobago@trinidad.net, www.rookstobago.com
Well known local orthinologist and nature lecturer who arranges bird watching and nature trips/hikes
Newton George, t 660 5463, ngeorge@tstt.net.tt
Very experienced bird watching and nature tour guide, also a Rainforest Reserve Ranger
Harris McDonald, Harris’ Jungle Tours, t 639 0513 home or cell 759 0170, Harris_jungle@hotmail.com, www.harris-jungle-tours.com
Guide offering a selection of tours including rainforest and bird watching walks
Yes! Tourism, t 631 0286
Local incoming tour operator offering general sightseeing and special interest tours including trips to the Rain Forest and Little Tobago. Day trips to Trinidad are also arranged to include a guided tour of the famous Asa Wright Nature Centre, one of the main bird watching sites in Trinidad and a boat ride on the Caroni Swamp, at the Caroni Bird Sanctuary to view the breathtaking scarlet ibis, Trinidad’s national bird
Of our featured properties the Blue Waters Inn is especially good for bird watching, with over 50 species of birds commonly seen around the property throughout the year. The hotel is located directly across from Little Tobago, which takes approximately 10 minutes by boat. Trips to St Giles Island take about 30 minutes by boat. |
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Calendar of Events
2009
JANUARY
Start of the Harvest Festivals, community feasts held throughout the year in various villages. Family, friends and strangers are invited into villagers’ homes to share a thanksgiving meal. The festival starts with a church service and ends with musical entertainment by the village choir. 11-17 Jan, Tobago International Pro-Am Golf Tournament, Tobago Golf Club, Mount Irvine Bay. Carnival 2009: 23-26 Jan, Tobago National Single Pan Preliminaries and Tobago National Panorama Preliminaries, 27 Jan-03 Feb, at various pan yards.
FEBRUARY
02 Feb, Tobago National Steel Band Semi-Finals, Dwight Yorke Stadium. 09 Feb, Tobago Single Pan Championships, Roxborough. 10 Feb, THA Steel Band Finals, single and conventional bands, Dwight Yorke Stadium. 10-14 Feb, Tobago Carnival Regatta (former Tobago Sail Week) at Crown Point and Pigeon Point with regional and international yachts competing. 18 Feb, Tobago Calypso Monarch Championships, Golden Star, Crown Point. 22 Feb, Kiddies Carnival, Roxborough Sporting Complex, Scarborough. 23-24 Feb, Tobago Carnival, Market Square, Scarborough with Ole Mas, J’ouvert, Parade of Bands, calypso and steel ban competition. Trinidad Carnival, Port of Spain, 20 Feb, International Soca Monarch Finals, 21 Feb, National Panorama steel band finals, 22 Feb, Dimanche Gras with King & Queens of Carnival and National Calypso Monarch finals, 23 Feb Carnival Monday: J’ouvert, Parade of Bands, Pan on de Road-Pan/Mas and Monday Night Mas and 24 Feb, Carnival Tuesday: Parade of Bands, Pan on de Road – Pan/Mas and Las Lap.
MARCH
Leatherback Turtle Nesting Season begins and runs to 31 August. 19-22 Mar, 14th TGFA Tobago International Game Fishing Tournament takes place in Charlotteville.
APRIL
13 Apr, Easter Monday Goat & Crab Races and recreational/sporting activities, Mt Pleasant Recreation Ground. 14 Apr, Goat Races & Crab Races, and other recreational activities, Buccoo – both fun events not to be missed. 22-23 Apr, Pan Jazz in the Yard, steel pan and jazz musicians play at Redemption Sound Setters Pan Yard. 24-26 Apr, Tobago Jazz Festival Golf Tournament, Tobago Plantations. 24-26 Apr, 5th Annual Plymouth Jazz Festival, at Plymouth Recreational Ground. This year’s festival has been cancelled and an alternative event, Tobago Jazz is being planned for Pigeon Point Heritage Park. The international headline act is yet to be confirmed and dates remain the same. 25-26 Apr, Jazz on the Beach, free daytime event at Mt Irvine beach. 29 Apr-02 May, TTGFA Marlin Madness Tournament, Pigeon Point.
MAY
01-02 May, TTGFA Marlin Madness Tournament continues. 23 May, 5th Rainbow Cup International Triathlon, Grafton Beach. 24 May, Culinary Festival, Pigeon Point, cooking demonstrations and live entertainment. 29 May, Beacon Cycling Series, Scarborough.
JUNE
26-18 Jun, Fisherman’s Festival, main event in Man O’ War Bay, Charlotteville.
JULY
11 Jul-01 Aug, Tobago Heritage Festival, cultural displays of music, storytelling, dance, food and local traditions. 22-27 Jul, Great Fete Weekend, Pigeon Point and Crown Point, popular beach party with live pop/soca/rock music and top local DJ’s with huge sound systems.
AUGUST
01 Aug, Emancipation Day, Heritage Parade from Bon Accord to Pigeon Point with Emancifest at Pigeon Point. 01 Aug, Muhtadi Drum Festival, Dwight York Stadium. 22 Aug, Carib Great Race, hugely popular 85 mile powerboat race starting in Trinidad and ending in Store Bay, Tobago with big beach party. 23 Aug, Castara Fisherman’s Fete, all day beach party, Castara. 31 Aug, Independence Day, public holiday with military parade and fireworks in Scarborough.
SEPTEMBER
05-06, Presidents Cup, Tobago Plantations Golf & Country Club. 20 Sep, Eid-Ul-Fitr, Muslim festival.
OCTOBER
03-04 Oct, Tobago Open, Tobago Plantations Golf & Country Club. 01-05 Oct, 23rd Tobago International Cycling Classic c/o Trinbago Wheelers Cycle Club, 5 Stages over 4 days with over 100 international and regional cyclists. Cycling Village set up in Crown Point. 18 Oct, Blue Food Festival, entertainment and showcase of cooking skills, Bloody Bay Recreational Grounds. 17 Oct, Divali (Festival of Lights), Hindu celebration.
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
26 Dec, Tobago Flying Colours, 10th annual kite flying festival, Plymouth Recreational Grounds.
Tobago public holidays 2009: 01 January, 30 March, 10 & 13 April, 30 May, 11 & 19 June, 01 & 31 August, 20 & 24 September, 17 October, and 25 & 26 December. Please note that Carnival Monday and Tuesday (23 & 24 February) are not public holidays.
The above events/dates may be subject to change/cancellation, therefore please check locally for confirmation of details. |
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