Tobago travel advice
Where to go in Tobago
Jason Radix is the general manager of Blue Waters Inn. He shares his Tobago travel advice:
“Come to Speyside! It’s one of the best kept secrets as most people go to the southwest side of the island, near the airport. Not as many people venture to the northeast, but It’s a place where most of the natural history of the island is concentrated. You have the Main Ridge Forest Reserve, the Argyle Waterfall, several natural forested areas with a high diversity of flora and fauna. And of course, there are the marine sites, which are ideal for snorkelling and diving as well. Most of our healthiest reefs are here. We also have two islands – Little Tobago and Goat Island – which have a lot of history.”
“Come to Speyside! It’s one of the best kept secrets as most people go to the southwest side of the island, near the airport. Not as many people venture to the northeast, but It’s a place where most of the natural history of the island is concentrated. You have the Main Ridge Forest Reserve, the Argyle Waterfall, several natural forested areas with a high diversity of flora and fauna. And of course, there are the marine sites, which are ideal for snorkelling and diving as well. Most of our healthiest reefs are here. We also have two islands – Little Tobago and Goat Island – which have a lot of history.”
PODCAST
Jason Radix, general manager, Blue Waters Inn
Jason speaks about the surrounding area of Speyside. [01:55]
Foodie advice
Mia Persad-Douglas, from Footprints Eco Resort and Spa shares her top Tobago travel advice for foodies: “The crab and dumpling is a specialty. It is quite a lot of work – so if you’re not into fighting for your food, then I recommend trying the conch instead – that is excellent. But we get all kinds of wonderful seafood. The fish is almost always fresh, there’s lobster, shrimp... As for fruits – just try all the fruits that are exotic to you at home, they taste so much more wonderful when they are picked off the trees. The sugars have had time to develop, and it’s a different experience. Even the bananas are amazing!”
Meet the locals
Kaye is one of the owners of Native Abode, a family run guesthouse in Crown Point. She shares her Tobago travel advice: “One of the things I would recommend is not just having a beach vacation but having a community experience. Interact more with locals and think “If I were a Tobagonian – what would I do, what would I see, what would eat? How would I live? Where would I live?” So I would encourage visitors to live with us in small community guesthouses and bed and breakfasts. I would encourage them to come and eat like us. Eat what we eat! Taste our crab and dumpling, taste our coconut bake, our soursop punches. I would also encourage them to come and see how our ancestors used to live: see the dance of the cocoa. Watch the fishermen pulling seine. And of course – they need to lime like us! Go on a river lime, try out Sunday School. Try the waterfalls. And at the end of the experience where you have lived like us – we will say you have become one of us!“Responsible turtle watching
Tanya Clovis, from SOS Tobago, an NGO dedicated to the protection of sea turtles on Tobago, shares her Tobago travel advice for having the best – and most responsible – turtle watching experience: “We recommend not bringing a camera – but just enjoying the experience. If a flash goes off it can really throw things off for the turtle and the rest of the turtle viewing crowd. Maintain a respectful distance from the turtle. When she is laying, if we have a manageable crowd, we take people closer to see the eggs actually dropping then leave her to cover and disguise her nest in peace. You want to wear comfortable clothes. The beach is uneven as there are nests all over the place. Darker coloured clothes are a good idea, light clothes pick up a lot of ambient light from the beach.”Our top trip
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This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
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Tobago tips from our travellers
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travellers are often... other travellers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do - and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful Tobago travel advice that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday - and the space inside your suitcase.
We have selected some of the most useful Tobago travel advice that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday - and the space inside your suitcase.
The turtle watching was amazing and emotional, watching these pre-historic animals, heave their bulk ashore to lay their eggs, we felt very priviledged to witness this.![]()
– Laraine Bridges
“Take double the mosquito repellent you think you need.” – Dominique Baal
“We found the people courteous and charming. There were a few attempts to hustle us, but they were the exception.” – Rosemary Brooke
“Take cash with you as ATM often does not work in the small villages.” – Vlad Waley
“The high point was snorkelling with our guide – swimming with jellyfish and giant angelfish, coral reefs, hidden mysterious beaches. TIP – bring a little "GoPro" underwater camera to take astonishing undersea footage.” – Judith Doyle
“We found the people courteous and charming. There were a few attempts to hustle us, but they were the exception.” – Rosemary Brooke
“Take cash with you as ATM often does not work in the small villages.” – Vlad Waley
“The high point was snorkelling with our guide – swimming with jellyfish and giant angelfish, coral reefs, hidden mysterious beaches. TIP – bring a little "GoPro" underwater camera to take astonishing undersea footage.” – Judith Doyle
When snorkelling, give turtles plenty of space to come up to take air, otherwise they can suffocate.![]()
– Mike Edwards
“Within Castara village there is the opportunity to buy in the local stores, fish market etc. There is no real need to hire a car. If we went north or south we used the local bus.” – Donald Dunlop
“Take earplugs to make sure you get some sleep and don't get too disturbed by the cockerels and chacalacas because they wake up early! Don't go if you need constant activity/entertainment because there are not loads of things to do. Do go if you need a relaxing holiday, away from it all, in a village atmosphere.” – Monique Smith
“This isn't an exciting place to go! The beauty of the place is its wonderful tranquillity and lack of urgency. Most memorable moments included learning to play steel pan on the beach then being invited to hear how the professionals do it later that day. Other than that, the abiding memory is of relaxing in comfy chairs and watching the view - much better than telly!” – Christine Mohamed
“Take earplugs to make sure you get some sleep and don't get too disturbed by the cockerels and chacalacas because they wake up early! Don't go if you need constant activity/entertainment because there are not loads of things to do. Do go if you need a relaxing holiday, away from it all, in a village atmosphere.” – Monique Smith
“This isn't an exciting place to go! The beauty of the place is its wonderful tranquillity and lack of urgency. Most memorable moments included learning to play steel pan on the beach then being invited to hear how the professionals do it later that day. Other than that, the abiding memory is of relaxing in comfy chairs and watching the view - much better than telly!” – Christine Mohamed
Responsible Travel would like to thank Visit Tobago for their sponsorship of this guide.
More Tobago articles
January to March are often considered the best times to visit Tobago - they are drier and slightly cooler than the summer months.
As our Tobago travel guide reveals, this is the Caribbean as it once was, with a focus on nature, culture and relaxation, and a model for the future.
Our interactive map shows you where to go in Tobago - though as the island is so compact, you won't have to make too many tough choices.
Travelling in Tobago with kids is an absolute delight, with friendly guesthouses and a wide range of fun family-friendly activities.
Tobago's coastline may not be huge, but travelling along it is like working your way through an encyclopaedia of beaches.
Bird watching in Trinidad & Tobago is a treat with superb guides taking you to the rainforests & offshore islands to find upwards some 220 species.
As you would expect form an island that has protected its forest since 1776, nature and wildlife in Tobago is highly treasured.
Culture and music in Tobago takes centre stage - think calypso, steelpan and limbo - or limin' - simply chilling out.
The coastline may be gorgeous, but read on to discover that the true heart of this island lies well beyond Tobago's beaches.
Our Tobago Top Ten is a roundup of our favourite things to see and do on the island - though it was difficult to narrow it down to just ten!
Watersports in Tobago can be as active or relaxing as you wish, whether on a glass bottomed boat or getting closer to marine life by scuba diving.
Tobago may be in the Caribbean but there is much to do beyond the beaches, from walking trails to mountain biking and yoga retreats.
There's a good chance your holiday will coincide with one of the many festivals and events in Tobago.
The food in Tobago is a mouthwatering medley of Caribbean, Latin American and African ingredients and recipes.
Tobago's history and heritage is everywhere, with forts, cannon and monuments memorialising battles that played out on this island over centuries.
Clean, green and serene, Tobago benefits from respectful tourism - conservation and social projects in Tobago help keep paradise, paradise.
Our guide to Tobago accommodation reveals a world detached from the traditional Caribbean concept of gated off luxury and all inclusive resorts.
What is the best way to travel to Tobago? It all depends on where you’re coming from. We explain more in our guide.
The Tobago Tourism Board share their thoughts on responsible tourism in Tobago and how it creates a unique experience for travellers.
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