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TOBAGO is just a few miles from the Venezuelan coast. Although the island is only 28 miles long, its rugged beauty and stunningly luxuriant plant life hide a raft of secret treasures. Relish the beautiful simplicity of the forested hills, the gently whispering beaches, the sun-soaked villages and wonder at the grace and beauty of the diving pelicans, the vividly coloured parrots and watch the humming birds dancing to their own exotic tunes. The Northside coast is Tobago’s least populated and is so beautiful that it has to be visited to be believed. For those whose maximum effort will run to sipping rum punch, may wish to partake as a spectator of the cricket, football, basket ball or indeed goat racing! It is not possible to visit Tobago and not become profoundly relaxed.
Beaches
Despite being a tiny island, it is not difficult to find a beach to yourself on Tobago because this is still a largely unspoilt and uncommercial island You won't get to all of Tobago's beaches in a fortnight holiday. Some of our favourites include Canoe Bay An undeveloped and peaceful setting. Off the main road and down a long track. Store Bay, near to Crown Point Airport, is usually listed as a favourite Tobago beach, the best reason for going here is the local food 'bars', where you can get a slap up meal for less than £3 per person. The beaches at the Grafton Resort, Courland Bay and Turtle Beach are large by Tobago standards, and have crashing waves, even though they're on the Caribbean side. The sand is clean and white and there's plenty of watersport facilities. If you could paint a picture of a perfect Caribbean beach it would be Pigeon Point, still, turquoise water lapping onto a white beach, scattered with grass roof huts, a wooden jetty with a grass roof hut on the end of it, and swaying palms leaning over almost touching the water. That is Pigeon Point. Mount Irvine The beach is small and pretty - and the water is bliss. Just a few yards in and the snorkelling is as good as anywhere on the island. You will have to pay to visit some of the beaches.
Restaurants
There’s a lot of choice in Tobago for such a small island. You can eat delicious local fayre for less than £3 per head, or go the whole hog at one of the top hotel restaurants and dine on tournedos rossini with morels and roquefort. Good restaurants have been springing up all over Tobago and there is now good choice in price, variety and ambience. there are plenty of restaurants offering fresh fish, steak (the local beef is delicious), chicken and lots of Caribbean veg and fruit, like paw paw, mango and breadfruit. Local specialities include: - callalloo - a sort of coconut and spinach soup, curried crab and dumpling - whole blue crabs in spices, chicken pelau - slow cooked chicken with coconut, spices and rice, pea soup - a thick soup of fresh picked peas, dasheen, sweet potato, flavoured with bacon, roti - a thick curry of chick pea and potato with either beef, chicken, lobster or goat, wrapped takeaway style in a kind of flour tortilla,
and bake - delicious fried bread rolls usually stuffed with something yummy like fish or meat
Leisure
Other than the sailing, diving and snorkeling opportunities, for the sports minded there are excellent facilities for golf, tennis, squash and horse riding, ramblers will find many magnificent walks waiting to be discovered.
Sight seeing
Tobago has a number of beautiful waterfalls - in particular the Argyle Waterfall. It’s a tiered climb with cool pools of water as you go, and lovely light for photos. Arnos Vale Sugar Estate
Well worth a visit. Museum, wildlife, waterwheel. The wildlife here is fabulous. Just sit amongst the trees and watch. The Rainforest This is said to be one of the oldest rainforests in the world. Go with a proper guide and read up on the rain forest first. It’s not a place for flip flops. Grafton Caledonia Wildlife Sanctuary This bird sanctuary was once a cocoa estate. The Mot Mots have been conditioned over the years and usually come out around 4pm for their old feeding time. Their fear of humans has diminished and hand feeding is possible. There are nature hiking trails on the grounds. Hire a jeep and go to Speyside at the north end of the island. Although Tobago is only 27 miles long, it'll take you a day to travel up and down the island. |
