One of the many reasons travelers head to Tobago is that it is much less developed than its neighbors. What does this mean? Unspoiled beaches, warm hospitality, and plenty of things to do – without the crowds. Being there is easy - you can stay in villas, apartments, or hotels – many are located directly on the beach. In Tobago, you can visit rainforests, discover wildlife and birds, swim in a jungle waterfall, golf, wander the beach, dance to Calypso music, eat well, shop for local crafts, and enjoy a slower life than you might have expected, especially if you are coming from its other half, Trinidad.

Ohana Villa, Tobago by Rae Slater, Flickrcc

Scarborough, Tobago. Wikimedia Commons: Reinhard Jahn, Mannheim

Tobago is small – only 42km across – and most of the action (including white sand beaches) is on the southwest side of the island, including Scarborough, the only large town. If you’re intent on diving and snorkeling, find your way to Speyside and Charlottesville, on the east.
Interested?

Here are our top 10 things to do in Tobago:

Strand an der Store Bay. Photo Wikimedia commons: Bgagel, adapted by Wandering Educators

Dive!

Some of the best diving in the Caribbean is here. There are three wrecks surrounding Tobago, the best of which is the Maverick Ferry. At 350 feet long, there’s plenty to explore. This wreck was sunk expressly for diving – all the doors and windows were removed prior to the sinking! You will see beautiful marine life here, including grouper, tropical fish, sharks, turtles, and rays. And coral! Maverick Ferry is located off Rocky Point, Mt Irvine. Don’t dive or snorkel? Take a glass-bottomed boat tour from Pigeon Point.

This is said to be the biggest brain coral in the world, Kelleston Drain, Tobago by Paul Mannix, Flickrcc

Underwater seascape off Little Tobago, Tobago by Paul Mannix, Flickrcc

Eagle Ray at Tobago Cays by Mary Witzig, Flickrcc

Explore the Tobago Forest Reserve

This is one of the oldest protected forests in the world, being protected since 1776. In this rainforest, you can see birds, frogs, butterflies, nonpoisonous snakes, and more. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which notes, “A unique feature of about the fauna of Tobago is that although Tobago is an island, the fauna are continental in origin, since Tobago was once joined to the South American continent some one million years ago. Considerable endemism has resulted; for example, 31% of the birds that nest on Tobago are endemics. Support of this unique biodiversity and exceptionally diverse ecosystem is of great value to humanity. In addition, it protects against soil erosion, it encourages rainfall and provides significant carbon sinks.”

Photo by Dominic Sayers, Flickrcc

Leatherback Turtle nesting

If you visit Tobago during March through August, you can see enormous leatherback turtles nesting. Guided tours are available at Turtle Beach, in Great Courtland Bay. Other turtle nesting grounds include Grafton Beach and Stonehaven Beach. Learn more at http://sos-tobago.org/

A leatherback turtle covering her eggs, Turtle Beach, Tobago by Paul Mannix, Flickrcc

Goat Racing

Now an official Goat Race Festival, goat racing has been a popular event on Tobago for almost 90 years! Started in Buccoo in southwest Tobago by Samuel Callendar, goat racing was horse racing for the lower classes. Now held at the Buccoo Beach facility, you can see goat racing throughout the year – check this official event calendar for more information http://visittobago.gov.tt/activities/event-calendar.

Photo courtesy Abir Anwar, Flickrcc

Goat racing by Alan Trotter, Flickrcc

Weekend party at Buccoo Bay

Every weekend at Buccoo Beach, you’ll find an all-invited party which explodes with local culture. You’ll hear steel bands, reggae, and dine well on plenty of barbecue. Dance the night away! (Love music? Be sure to come for the Jazz Festival, held in April).

Trinidad and Tobago Carnival,  by Team at Carnaval.com Studios, Flickrcc

Hit the Beach

Boat and swimmers at Tobago's Nylon Pool. Wikimedia Commons: Darkonc

There are many wonderful beaches in Tobago, including:

Turtle Beach: yellow sand

Mt Irvine Beach: a public beach, great for surfers, with sheltered picnic tables, changing rooms, trees, and food stands

Pigeon Point: pay to access, with plenty of bars, restaurants, bathrooms, and other amenities on a white sand beach

Pigeon Point, Tobago by neiljs, Flickrcc

Pirate’s Bay: great snorkeling, a beach frequented by locals

Store Bay: white sands, good swimming, glass bottom boat tours available

Stonehaven Bay (aka Grafton Bay): coarse yellow sand, good swimming and bodyboarding

Grafton Bay by Dominic Sayers, Flickrcc

Man of War Bay: Brown sand, good swimming, paid changing facilities, and a lovely pier

Buccoo Beach: site of those goat races, this is a protected marine park off Pigeon Point. This is also a long white sand beach, protected by Buccoo Reef, and there’s good swimming in Nylon Pool – a shallow area in the middle of the reef lagoon.

Buccoo Reef. Wikimedia Commons: Reinhard Jahn, Mannheim.

A more definitive beach guide listing all of the beaches on the island is located here http://www.mytobago.info/beaches.php

View of Little Tobago from Blue Waters Inn. Wikimedia Commons: Jimfbleak

Golf

Not my thing, but definitely my husband’s. You can golf in several locations, including the award-winning Mt Irvine Bay Golf Course, and Tobago Plantations Golf and Country Club, which includes indigenous plants, and mature trees and other features.

Mt Irvine Bay Golf Course. Photo Wikimedia commons: bgagel

Get moving

While there is plenty do to at the beach, there are also inland activities for you to explore. Go horseback riding (stables include Being with Horses and Friendship Stables), mountain biking, or take off road jeep tours and off road motorcycle tours. These are all great ways to explore Tobago.

Birdwatching

There are extraordinary birdwatching tours available, but you need to dig for them! Don’t accept the services of any touts on the beach or package reps; rather, go with specialized guides who are experts at Tobago birding.

Blue-crowned Motmot (Momotus momota). Wikimedia Commons: Stephen Turner

Discover a mystery

Yes, in Plymouth, you can discover a mystery – a mystery tombstone, that is. This 18th century tombstone notes that Betty Stevens "was a mother without knowing it, and a wife without letting her husband know it, except by her kind indulgence to him". What do you think of those 300 year old crypt – and cryptic words?

Mystery Tomb -Tobago by Angelo  Bissessarsingh, Flickrcc

What will you do first, in Tobago?

Misty morning, Tobago. Photo courtesy Freimut Hinsch