Tobago Complete: Pigeon Point Beach, Speyside Manta Rays, Charlotteville, the Oldest Protected Forest, Sunday School Fete, and Crown Point Base
The Tobago island experience encompasses the iconic Pigeon Point pier beach, the world-class manta ray dives at Speyside, the remote Charlotteville northern tip, the 1764 Main Ridge Forest Reserve as the oldest protected forest in the hemisphere, the Sunday School community fete at Buccoo, and the practical Crown Point base near the ANR Robinson airport.
- 1
Pigeon Point: The Icon Beach
Pigeon Point Heritage Park on the western tip of Tobago, the most photographed beach in the island with the thatched pier extending over the turquoise lagoon and the fine white sand, is the postcard image of Tobago and the most organized beach experience on the island with the day admission, the beach chairs, the bar, and the water sports operators providing the complete resort beach experience in a setting of considerable natural beauty.
- 2
Speyside: The Manta Ray Dives
Speyside on the northeast Atlantic coast of Tobago, the primary dive destination of the island, provides access to the Japanese Gardens coral reef and the Kelleston Drain manta ray cleaning station where the oceanic manta rays with wingspans of up to 5 meters queue to be cleaned by the cleaner wrasse in an encounter of such reliability and intimacy that it is considered one of the finest wildlife dive experiences in the world. The village of Speyside retains the fishing community character that makes it the most authentic Tobago settlement accessible to visitors.
- 3
Charlotteville: The Pirate Bay
Charlotteville on the northern tip of Tobago, accessible by road in 90 minutes from Scarborough or by boat from Speyside, is the most remote and most beautiful village in Tobago, set in a deep protected bay surrounded by rainforest-covered hills with the Man O War Bay beach and the Pirate's Bay accessible by short hike providing two of the finest swimming beaches in the island in complete natural surroundings without hotel or resort development.
- 4
Tobago Rainforest: The Oldest Protected Forest
The Tobago Main Ridge Forest Reserve, established in 1764 by British colonial ordinance as the first protected forest in the western hemisphere, covers the northern spine of the island in a rainforest that is accessible by trail from Roxborough and that protects the populations of the blue-backed manakin, the rufous-vented chachalaca, and the red-rumped woodpecker that are among the most sought-after Tobago bird species by international birders.
- 5
Buccoo Village and Sunday School
The Buccoo Village Sunday School, the weekly fete held in the Buccoo community hall every Sunday evening from 10pm that is named with deliberate irony for its combination of soca and chutney music, dancing, and rum drinking, is the most authentic Tobago community social event accessible to visitors and the best opportunity to experience the Tobago party culture in a local rather than resort setting. The Sunday School has been running continuously since the 1980s.
- 6
Tobago Heritage: Crown Point and the Airport
The Crown Point area of Tobago, surrounding the ANR Robinson International Airport, contains the primary concentration of hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, and beach bars in a compact walkable area that makes it the most practical base for a Tobago stay. The Crown Point beach bars and the Store Bay beach with its food stalls serving the Tobago crab and dumplings, the curry goat, and the coconut water form the essential arrival ritual for the Tobago visitor.