The vast majority of visitors to Tobago are seeking beach holidays with lots of sun and sand. Despite being a tiny island, it isn't difficult to find a beach to yourself on Tobago. Tobago has an abundance of both and no other Caribbean island boasts quite the same range of largely deserted beaches, varying from the pristine white coral sands of the Caribbean coast to the dark volcanic sands of the Atlantic coast.

 

Beaches in Tobago - scroll down to see all

 

 

• Englishman's Bay 

 

This is a secluded beach on the leeward coast of Tobago, between Castara and Parlatuvier. Although the bay does not draw the large numbers of beachgoers that Tobago's western beaches do, it is considered of the island's most beautiful. The beach itself is a classic crescent shape, capped by two heavily forested headlands descending from Tobago's Main Ridge. The sand starts immediately after the forest ends and is of a shallow to medium gradient and somewhat coarse grain. The beach itself does not change size drastically at high or low tides, due to the gradient. The waters are calm year-round, with swells growing slightly in size toward the winter months, and boast magnificent snorkeling and swimming. As of 2006, there is one small restaurant, Eula's, and a single stall male and female bathroom.

 

• Pigeon Point Heritage Park

Email: contact@pigeonpoint.tt
Contact Information: (868) 639-0601; Fax: (868) 639-8635

Location: Pigeon Point . Milford Road . Crown Point . Tobago .

This is often considered Tobago's most beautiful beach and is home to the famous thatch-roofed jetty which has become an internationally recognised signature of Tobago. The resort includes a long stretch of white sand beach with warm aquamarine waters. There are excellent beach facilities such as bathrooms, showers and beach-chair rentals as well as bars and a restaurant. Tourist amenities include souvenir and water-sports shops. There is a cost to enter the beach.

 

• Mt. Irvine Beach

 Also known as Little Courland Bay, the ½-mile (800m) beach of this bay is split into two sections with a narrow section that can disappear at high tide linking the two. The first section is referred to as the 'hotel beach' being opposite the Mt.Irvine Beach Hotel. This section provides excellent swimming and sunbathing. The next section of the beach, a little further north, is either side of the Mount Irvine Beach Facilities. There are changing and toilet facilities at this end, but the swimming is not so good. Most of the island's sailing tours start from this beach. The beach is popular with surfers from December to March and can become crowded by Tobago standards.

 

• Grafton Beach/ Stonehaven Bay 

Grafton Beach is an attractive coarse sand beach serviced by Le Grand Courlan Spa Resort and the Grafton Beach Resort. The waves can be very powerful here and you are advised to stay close to the shore to avoid dangerous currents. The right side of the beach (north) can be the calmest and offers reasonable snorkelling. Stonehaven beach is one of the three beaches in Tobago where the endangered giant Leatherback turtle comes ashore between March and June to lay their eggs which will hatch around three months later.

 

• Turtle Beach

Still in the great Courland Bay, famous Turtle Beach is a mile-long sandy, sloping beach famous as a nesting site for giant leatherback turtles (March-August). Services are available at the Turtle Beach Hotel, which dominates the beach. Guest at the hotel can benefit from regular turtle viewings. A turtle watch is organised by the hotel, during the nesting season. As soon as hotel security staff spot a turtle, or the two-month old hatchlings, they hotel will alert guests on the turtle watch list so that they can view this wonderful site.

 

• Store Bay Beach

Possibly Tobago's most popular public beach. Being on the doorstep of a large number of hotels, guesthouses and holiday apartments the beach is always busy. This small 650ft (200m) beach, on the doorstep of the Store Bay Holiday Resort, is also the site of the Great Race powerboat competition - one of Tobago's most exciting events - and venue for Great Fete. It is one of the few beaches with a lifeguard. There are changing rooms and toilets and a variety of small shops, restaurants and vendors, including several very well-known crab 'n' dumpling vendors. Trips are available from the bay to Buccoo Reef. The waters are reasonably sheltered and good for swimming.

 

• Canoe Bay Beach 

Located at the Canoe Bay Resort, this is one of Tobago's private beaches that charge admission. Coconut-thatched pavilions offer shade on the near-deserted sandy beach. The water is calm, shallow and perfect for children. Changing, camping and sporting facilities are available. There's a bar, which now also provides sandwiches and burgers. Admission is TT$12 for adults and TT$6 for children (over 4).

 

• Kings Bay 

A sheltered horseshoe bay with excellent ½-mile (800m) dark-sand, shaded by coconut trees and calm, warm water. Good facilities, including showers, lifeguards and shaded cabanas. A good place to buy fresh fish and witness the tradition of "pulling seine". The site was once a large Carib settlement. Kings Bay Waterfall can be reached by a trail on the opposite side of the Windward Road, but be warned that the falls are often dry when there hasn't been much rain.

 

• Grange Bay Beach

Known locally as The Wall, this beach is just past the Mount Irvine Golf Course. Grange Beach is ideal for swimming and an increasingly popular spot with surfers.

 

• Castara Beach

Castara has two beautiful golden sand beaches (2.4km), both great for swimming. Big Bay is the focus of the village. A visit first thing in the morning could have you helping the fisherman pull in their nets. A late afternoon stroll will reward you with fantastic views of the sun setting over the Caribbean. Little Bay, which is also known as Heavenly Bay, is more secluded and great for snorkelling - you may even be lucky enough to see a manta ray. Views are spectacular from every hillside around the village and there is a waterfall within easy reach of the village, where you can also have a swim. Luckily, the guest apartments and self contained guest houses are of a good standard and often have great views of the sea. Castara is a useful place to stop for lunch when touring the Leeward coast. Emerald Bay is a small secluded bay just off Castara main bay.

 

• Bon Accord Lagoon & No Mans Land 

The Bon Accord Lagoon is fringed by mangrove wetlands and an important habitat for many species of bird. The only access is by boat. A small spit of white coral-sand beach known as 'No Man's Land' has become a popular venue for boozy beach barbecues.

 

• Man O War Bay

 This huge bay includes smaller bays, such as Hermitage Bay, Cambleton Bay and Pirate's Bay. Charlotteville boasts a beautiful mile-long (1.6km) sandy beach with good swimming. It can be a little smelly and dirty around the area in front of the fishing co-operative, where fishermen bring their catch ashore, but is great further down towards Cambleton, where there is an intermittent lifeguard service, changing facilities and refreshments. This gorgeous little bay features multi-coloured sand and offers some of the best snorkelling on the island. Two other bays worth mentioning are Dead Man's Bay and Waterfall Bay Both are remote and small and the beach virtually disappears at high tide.

 

• Pirates Bay

Named after the shelter that it provided to marauding buccaneers three centuries ago, this charming and isolated bay and beach is the archetypical deserted island beach and was used extensively in the original Robinson Crusoe filmed in 1952. In more recent years, an un-surfaced track has been created up the hillside from Charlotteville where you continue north along the coast road through the village, always forking left toward the sea. It is a hot and sweaty 20 minute walk before descending through the plantation to the beach. The steps leading down are not marked and can be easily missed. There are some 170 steps down the steep cliff-side to the beach. The beach now has basic toilet/changing facilities, but little else - other than a very friendly and helpful vendor selling fruit and coconut water. Highly recommended. Please DO NOT attempt to drive up the trail leading to Pirate's Bay. It is a narrow unmade trail and there is only room for two vehicles at the top. Selfish inconsiderate visitors park at the top and block the only available turning space. If you meet another vehicle coming up or down the hill, one vehicle will have to reverse. Convention dictates that vehicles going up a hill have priority over those travelling down, but the lack of space at the top of the hill would make the situation worse if both were to return to the top, so only reverse downhill. Reversing is a task that few would relish and many/most would find exceptionally stressful, to say the least.

 

• Batteaux Bay

A small secluded beach with stunning deep blue waters and reefs, in the grounds of the Blue Waters Inn. The beach is a popular departure point for diving and snorkelling trips around Little Tobago and Goat Island.