Things To Do In Tobago

Tobago is a wonderful Caribbean Island, the sort of place dreams are made of. Only 21 miles from its much busier sister island Trinidad, it enjoys a much more relaxed and unspoilt atmosphere. In fact Tobago is so laid back that the few traffic lights to be found on the island are actually marked on the local maps!

Two Oceans, the Atlantic and the Caribbean border the Island itself and yet it can take only 15 minutes driving to cross from one side to the other. Tobago also has one of the largest natural rain forests in the Caribbean. This makes the island a fantastic place for bird watching (Tobago was once part of the South American mainland and its flora and fauna reflect this natural history). So your holiday can be as lazy or as action packed (both on land and sea) as you wish. Be it snorkelling, scuba diving, turtle watching, hiking up to the fantastic waterfalls, enjoying the natural paradise or just lazing beside the sea.

The temperature varies by only one or two degrees through the year, but even during the rainy season (roughly June to December) there is still plenty of sunshine to be enjoyed. Rain in Tobago can be heavy, but also very short-lived and bears no relation to a wet and miserable day in England! Tobago is considered to be south of the Hurricane belt and the last major Hurricane to hit Tobago was in 1963.

Turtle Watching
Chaconia is ideally placed for anybody who would love to see Turtles in their natural home. Turtles are an endangered species, but during the months from March to June you may be lucky enough to see a giant leatherback turtle laying her eggs on the beach near the apartment. The eggs hatch around 60 days later and it is wonderful to see the baby turtles heading towards the sea. Other types of turtle to be found are Hawksbill and Green sea turtles.

Tobago Golf Courses
There are two golf courses on Tobago. Chaconia is close to 2 x 18 hole golf courses (both hire clubs). The nearest (approx 5 minutes drive away) is Mount Irvine which was carved out of the site of an old plantation, green fees are from 48US, golf buggies extra. The Hilton Plantation PGA golf course is 10 minutes away and rates are from 85US including shared buggy. The course runs adjacent to mangrove swamps and has spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean. Good club facilities and the Hotel pool is great for the non golfers in the party.

Bird Watching
Just up the road from Chaconia is the Grafton Bird Sanctuary. This former cocoa estate was damaged by hurricane Flora in 1963. The then owner fed many of the wild birds who would have otherwise died due loss of their natural habitat. The Sanctuary has continued since her death and many of the birds whilst wild are now used to visitors. This can be a less strenuous way of seeing some of the wonderful birds to be found on Tobago!

Another great place for bird watchers to enjoy is Little Tobago, a small island about twenty minutes boat ride from Speyside.

Tobago Diving and Snorkelling
Tobago is a paradise for divers and snorkellers. The beautiful warm seas offer great dives from the beginner to the experienced. There are many dive companies operating around the Island, one of which is just a few minutes walk away along the beach from Chaconia. One of our diving guests even took part in the turtle tagging project.

Snorkelling is also a popular activity. The rocks at the end of the bay just near to Chaconia offer some excellent snorkelling depending upon the tide, weather and time of day. Just remember to pack your snorkel, mask and fins! You can also book trips on glass bottom boats to view the Coral gardens.

Other water based sports
Water-skiing, jet skiing, wind surfing, kite surfing, sailing, parasailing and deep-sea fishing are all to be found. There are many companies on the way to Pigeon Point offering their services, so your best bet is to go and check out their prices when you are there. As with all water based activities please be sensible about checking out tides, currents etc.

Rainforest
Tobago is blessed with one of the largest, accessible rainforests in the Caribbean. It has been a protected forest for over two hundred years and offers the opportunity to see many varieties of plants, birds and animals normally found only in South America. It is best, but not obligatory, to hire an official guide for your first visit into the rainforest. You can also climb to see (and swim in) some fantastic waterfalls. You will need sensible shoes (and of course your swimming costume).

Points to remember
One of the great things about exploring Tobago is the fact that it is not a heavily touristy and organised place! The upside of this is that many of the beaches and places you may want to explore are not commercialised, the down side is that you need to remember to take plenty of water and sunscreen with you when you go out for the day. Several of the beaches do have beach bars where you can get cold drinks and food, but don't bank on it. So just buy some ice from the local supermarket, fill up the cooler and enjoy yourself!

History Of Tobago
As you will see when travelling around the island, Tobago has many familiar place names. The island has been under the rule of British, French and Dutch in it's past (it has changed hands 31 times)! The many forts, canons and shipwrecks are a visible reminder of Tobago's past, along with the names of bays, settlements and roads.

Nowadays, Tobago's main business is tourism, but remnants of it's colonial past remain. The majority of the population are descended from the African slaves transported to the Island from the late 17th century onwards. Other large parts of the population are descendants of the East Indian indentured labourers.