Sea sports
There’s boating, diving or snorkelling, kayaking,
sailing, windsurfing, fishing. Most of these facilities
can be found at the larger hotels.
There are watersports
shops at Stone Haven Bay, Grafton Beach Resort, Turtle
Beach Hotel and Le Grand Courlan Resort there is also one
at Arnos Vale, Tobago’s oldest hotel. At Mt Irvine
beach, small sailboats and Stilettos are available for
rental.
A number of
fully-equipped, professional dive shops operate out of
the Crown Point, Speyside and Charlotteville areas; in
addition to scuba gear, many of these also rent equipment
for underwater photography.
Surfers will find
waves at Mt Irvine Bay, Grange Bay, Culloden Bay, and
Minister Bay in Bacolet. Windsurfers at Pigeon Point,
with the right breeze and clear shallow water.
The glass-bottomed
boats are operateing out of Store Bay, Pigeon Point and
Buccoo Village. Many of these boats also organise
“party cruises”, featuring barbecues and loud
music on No Man’s Land, a spit of land protruding
into the Buccoo Lagoon.
Sailboat charters,
like a afternoon catamaran cruise with return at sunset,
located at Pigeon Point and Store Bay. Deep-sea fishing
charters also leave from Store Bay/Pigeon Point. The
Carib International Game Fishing Tournament will be held
in April.
Land sports
Tennis courts at several of the larger hotels, or the
free public courts at Shaw Park, just outside
Scarborough. The only squash court on the island is
located at Grafton Beach Resort. Volleyball court at
Arnos Vale Hotel and Turtle Beach Hotel.
18-hole tournament
golf course at Mt Irvine Bay Hotel, including a
well-stocked pro shop; Palm Tree Village in Lambeau
offers horseback riding along the beach.
Touring
For sheer scenic beauty, it’s hard to beat
Tobago’s northside coast. The small villages along
the way — Moriah, Castara, Parlatuvier, Bloody Bay,
L’Anse Fourmi — have an alluring charm; and
Englishman’s Bay, an idyll of blue and green, is the
perfect spot for a picnic. A hike in the rain forest of
the Main Ridge offers its own special rewards. Sealevel
Guesthouse in Castara is organising rainforest tours.
A ideal "headquarter" to discover this area.
Bicycles and motorbikes can be rented in the Crown Point
area. Car rentals are also numerous in this area, or can
arranged through your hotel.
Beaches
For a long, interesting walk, try Petit Trou in Lowlands;
or Castara.The most scenic and loneliest Beaches you will
find between Castara and Bloody Bay also in
Charlotteville like Pirates’ Bay and Lovers’
Bay. Perfect for children is Pigeon Point, Canoe Bay and
Castara. A turtle-watching beach? Try Great Courland,
Stone Haven, or Parlatuvier.
The most popular and crowded beaches are Store Bay and
Pigeon Point, in the south, and Mt Irvine and Great
Courland Bay in the west. At Englishman’s Bay,
it’s easy to feel like Robinson Crousoe on an
undiscovered island; Bacolet Beach, close to Scarborough,
small and secluded, offers all the drama of the Atlantic.
Shopping
The shopping opportunities in Tobago are very few. It is
possible to find gift items like locally made garments,
handcrafts and others at hotel boutiques and also at
shops in and around the Crown Point Airport.
The boutiques at the entrance to Pigeon Point are good
for souvenirs, including tie-dye and batik work. Sexy
swimwear and trendy T-shirts can be had in this area. If
upscale designer clothing is what you’re after,
Meiling’s boutique at the Coco Reef Resort and
Radical Designs in Scarborough retail work by some of
Trinidad’s best known fashion names.
Turtle Beach Hotel holds a craft market on Tuesdays and
Thursdays, where local artisans are encouraged to show
their work; and the Cotton House studio on Bacolet Street
produces splendid tie-dye and batik fabrics and fashions.
Eating and
entertainment
Eating in Tobago is a rewarding experience, from Crown
Point to Charlotteville. At one end of the island, you
can sample that traditional Tobago favourite, curry crab
and dumplings; at the other, you can sit down to kingfish
fresh from the ocean, deliciously cooked in a creole
style with lots of onion, green pepper and tomato. And in
the middle — well, there’s everything in
between.
The Crown Point area
has the largest concentration of restaurants, both simple
and fancy, on the island; but other areas, such as
Shirvan Road, are developing fast. Scarborough offers
several good eating places, as well as the ubiquitous
chicken-and-chips. For a truly Tobagonian experience, try
the food stalls in the Scarborough Market, where hearty
local breakfasts and lunches are served up, no-frills and
absolutely authentic.
In rural areas, small
village restaurant/bars often offer satisfying home
cooking. Like food, entertainment tends to be
concentrated in the Crown Point area, where there is an
increasing number of clubs, pubs and nightspots for those
who want to let down their hair. Somewhat more decorous
are the floorshows offered by the larger hotels, many of
which feature regular steelband music and folk
performances. In Scarborough, several pubs enliven the
evening scene, particularly on Fridays.
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