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The small island of Tobago is most popular as a vacation spot with Trinidadians, who hop onto its sister island by ferry or plane for a rest. Tobago offers everything you want on a Caribbean vacation – great food, pretty beaches, clear turquoise waters – without the crowds and hockey you get at the more popular places on the island.
When you are in Tobago, you feel like you have discovered this amazing, secret place that no one else knows about. Here are 10 ways to enjoy the island like a local.
Swim and dive in the purest water
It is essential to go by boat to the Nylon Pool, a swimming pool in the middle of the sea. When Princess Margaret visited her in 1962, she compared the water, so clear above the white coral sand, to nylon fibers – hence its name. The pool can get busy with party boats at times but is still stunning and well worth a visit. The protected Buccoo Reef is nearby and offers spectacular snorkelling and scuba diving.
Tobago Waterholics offers tours to some of the best snorkeling and swimming spots, including No Man’s Land, a mangrove-covered beach where guests can enjoy a barbecue and a rum drink after a “heavy” morning of splashing in the ocean.
Eat seafood in the tree house
Jemmy’s tree house kitchen is built into a huge almond tree on Speyside Beach. You eat family style, biting into huge plates of chicken, shrimp, fish and lobster while the sea breeze blows through the open windows. At Jemma’s, every bite is amazing, from ginger cucumber salad to sweet and sour shrimp and tender lobster, served with breadfruit pudding, banana, okra and lots of fresh vegetables.
Known as the granary of the islands, Tobago grows a plethora of produce, so there’s no shortage of fresh fruit and vegetables, which is evident every time you eat at a restaurant there.
Hike in the rainforest
In 1776, the British Parliament declared the Main Ridge Tobago Forest Reserve a protected conservation area, making it the oldest recorded nature reserve in the Western Hemisphere. As you explore with expert guide and birdwatcher Newton George, you’ll see a huge variety of diverse flora and fauna. If you travel far enough, you’ll find secluded waterfalls and pools, perfect for a refreshing dip.
Go to Sunday School
Every Sunday night at the Buccoo, steel drum bands line up in the village square for practice, and soon the atmosphere turns into a crazy butt-shaking street party. Expect to hear classic island tunes as well as random pop hits like Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” as locals and tourists flock to dance. After 11pm, the bands leave and the DJs spin dance tunes and soca until the wee hours of the morning. It starts small, but you can go wild at Buccoo Sunday School.
Sip LLB
Outside of the islands, most of us only know Angostura for the bitters that are the staple of any cocktail cabinet. However, the Trinidad and Tobago company also produces excellent rums as well as a lemon, lime and bitter soda locally known as “LLB”. Pull back the tab and feel refreshed.
Eat the curry crab and dumplings
Meisha Trim makes Tobago’s most popular dish, curry crab and dumplings, based on her mom’s recipe, served at her seaside restaurant Miss Trim’s in Crown Point. The green curry is super spicy and the dumplings are sweet, they complement each other perfectly.
Taste cacao beans straight from the tree
Touring the leafy Tobago Cocoa Estate, you’ll learn the entire process from bean to bar before being treated to samples of their incredibly fantastic and award-winning chocolate in liquid and bar form. Quite possibly the highlight of the tour is tasting the cacao bean fruit – tart and reminiscent of Sour Patch Kids or Jolly Ranchers, depending on how ripe the fruit is.
Kayak in the moonlight
Night glass-bottom kayaking in the mangrove lagoon of Buccoo Reef is simply magical. On a pitch-dark night, you might hear the occasional song of a bird or the splash of a fish, and all you can see is the faint glow of mangrove roots. But then comes the most spectacular sight: bioluminescence turning the water beneath the kayak into a galaxy of tiny stars. Your oars, as they move through the water, create streaks of brilliance.
Enjoy the best coconut cheesecake of your life
Everything they serve at The Fish Pot in Grafton is amazing, but their coconut cheesecake is legendary. Topped with toasted coconut with a cinnamon base, it has an almost flannel texture that turns to caramel at the edges. But definitely while you’re there, start with the silky rum and liver pate and make sure you also try the crabcakes.
Dancing in the Jade Monkey
Put on your dancing shoes and head to the Jade Monkey Bar in Crown Point, where everyone is welcome. (Seemed to be mostly locals with a bit of visitors). DJs play the hottest soca sounds. Don’t go there too early though, as the place doesn’t start to fill up until midnight. It gets more interesting as the night progresses. Bonus: on Wednesdays they have karaoke with big prizes.
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