Tobago, the smaller of Trinidad and Tobago’s two islands, is about 300 km² (116 square miles) of green hills, quiet bays and fishing villages, some 20 miles northeast of Trinidad. It has the country’s classic Caribbean beaches: Pigeon Point, with its famous thatched jetty, and Store Bay at the island’s southwestern tip near the airport, and calm, palm-lined coves such as Castara, Englishman’s Bay and Parlatuvier along the Caribbean coast. Glass-bottom boats run out to Buccoo Reef and the Nylon Pool, a shallow sandbar in the open sea; divers head for the reefs off Speyside, with what the Tobago Tourism Agency calls the world’s largest known brain coral. Inland, the Main Ridge Forest Reserve, protected since 1776, is the heart of the North-East Tobago Biosphere Reserve, designated by UNESCO in 2020, with hummingbirds, waterfalls such as Argyle Falls and guided trails. From March to September, leatherback turtles nest on its beaches. The capital, Scarborough, is watched over by Fort King George. Tobago is relaxed and unhurried, with its own festivals, from the Heritage Festival in July to its October Carnival, and is reached by a 25-minute flight or a ferry from Trinidad, or by a few direct international flights. The dry season, from January to May, is the best time to visit.
Right now in Tobago
- Wed26–28°C78–82°F5 mm rain
- Thu25–28°C76–82°F3 mm rain
- Fri23–28°C74–82°F6 mm rain
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Tobago at a glance
- Best for: beaches, snorkeling and diving, rainforest hikes and birding, turtle watching and a slow-paced island holiday.
- How long: four days to a week; two or three days on a side trip from Trinidad.
- Best time: January to May, the dry season; December to April for birding; March to September for nesting turtles.
- Getting there: A.N.R. Robinson International Airport (TAB), at Crown Point; the air bridge from Trinidad takes about 25 minutes; the ferry from Port of Spain arrives in Scarborough.
- Getting around: rental car (drive on the left), “H” taxis and island buses.
- Money: Trinidad and Tobago dollars (about TT$6.80 to US$1); Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted, but carry cash for small places.
- Before you go: the online arrival card, entry rules, money and general tips are in our Trinidad and Tobago travel guide.
Tobago’s areas and where to stay
The island is about 40 km (25 miles) long, and a single road loops around it, crossing the Main Ridge between the Caribbean and Atlantic coasts.
Crown Point and the southwest
The flat southwestern tip around the airport is the main resort area, with Pigeon Point, Store Bay and most hotels, guesthouses, restaurants and dive shops. Just north are Buccoo, with its reef and Sunday night street party, Mount Irvine, with its bay and golf course, and the quiet Grafton and Stonehaven bays, the sunset coast.
Scarborough
The capital, on the south coast, climbs a hill from the ferry terminal and market to Fort King George, with the botanical gardens below. It is the island’s shopping and government center rather than a beach town.
The Caribbean coast
North of Plymouth, the road winds along a coast of bays and villages: Arnos Vale, Castara, with its guesthouses, fishermen and Thursday night bonfire, Englishman’s Bay and Parlatuvier. It is the place for a quiet stay close to the rainforest.
The windward side, Speyside and Charlotteville
The Atlantic coast passes Roxborough and Argyle Falls to Speyside, the diving center facing Little Tobago, and over the hill to Charlotteville, a fishing village on Man of War Bay with Pirate’s Bay nearby. Accommodation here is mostly small hotels and guesthouses.
Top things to see in Tobago
Pigeon Point
Tobago’s best-known beach, with white sand, turquoise water and the thatched-roof jetty that appears on countless postcards, is run as the Pigeon Point Heritage Park. According to Tourism Trinidad’s listing, it is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with lifeguards on the main beach from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; entry is TT$20 for adults and TT$10 for children aged 6 to 12, and free for people aged 65 and over with ID. It has restaurants, bars, washrooms, water sports and kitesurfing, and hosts events such as the Tobago Jazz weekend. Next door, Store Bay is a free public beach with food stalls serving crab and dumplings, and boats leave from here for Buccoo Reef.
Buccoo Reef and the Nylon Pool
Glass-bottom boat tours from Store Bay, Pigeon Point and Buccoo take you over Buccoo Reef to snorkel among reef fish, then to the Nylon Pool, which the Tobago Tourism Agency describes as a shallow pool of crystal-clear water in the middle of the sea, where you can stand waist-deep on the sand, and often to No Man’s Land, an uninhabited sandspit reachable only by boat. Do not stand on or touch the coral. See our snorkeling and boat trips guides.
Fort King George and Scarborough
On the hill above Scarborough, Fort King George is one of Tobago’s most important historic sites, with restored fortifications, cannons, barracks, a powder magazine, prison cells and the bell tank, and wide views over the town and the Atlantic. It is managed by the Tobago House of Assembly and, according to Tourism Trinidad’s listing, open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Main Ridge Forest Reserve
Rainforest covers much of Tobago’s mountainous spine. According to the Tobago Tourism Agency, the Main Ridge Forest Reserve, established by the British in 1776, is the oldest legally protected forest in the Western Hemisphere, and UNESCO made it the core of the North-East Tobago Biosphere Reserve in 2020. The best-known trail is the Gilpin Trace, an old track between Roxborough and Bloody Bay, which passes waterfalls and is home to the rare white-tailed sabrewing hummingbird; the Tobago Tourism Agency recommends going with a tour guide. See our hiking guide.
Argyle Falls and other waterfalls
Near Roxborough on the windward coast, Argyle Falls is Tobago’s best-known waterfall, with three levels of natural rock pools, reached by a 15- to 20-minute walk from the office; according to the Tobago Tourism Agency, entry is TT$60, and a guide is optional, for an extra fee. Other falls include the easy Castara Waterfall, a short walk from the village, Parlatuvier Waterfall, three minutes from the road, and Highland Waterfall, the island’s tallest single drop. Bathing is not allowed at Craig Hall Waterfall, a water supply.
More sights
- Englishman’s Bay: a calm, undeveloped bay on the Caribbean coast, one of the island’s most beautiful.
- Castara: a fishing village where visitors can help “pull seine” with the fishermen in the morning and join the Thursday night bonfire.
- Little Tobago: a seabird sanctuary off Speyside, reached by glass-bottom boat, with red-billed tropicbirds and magnificent frigatebirds.
- Pirate’s Bay: near Charlotteville, reached on foot or by pirogue.
- Flagstaff Hill: a lookout over Charlotteville and the northeastern islands, popular at sunset.
Other things to do in Tobago
Diving
Tobago’s reefs are rich in sponges and corals, with schools of fish, moray eels, turtles, nurse sharks, rays and barracudas, according to the Tobago Tourism Agency. Popular sites include London Bridge, Kelleston Drain (home of the giant brain coral), Booby Island and Cardinal Rocks in the northeast, and Mount Irvine Wall and the wreck of the MV Maverick in the southwest. Currents can be strong, so dive with a local operator; the island has a hyperbaric chamber. See our diving guide.
Birdwatching
More than 260 bird species have been recorded on Tobago, according to the Tobago Tourism Agency, which names December to April as the best time, especially March and early April. Top sites are the Gilpin Trace and Main Ridge trails, Little Tobago for seabirds, Flagstaff Hill for nightjars, and hummingbird feeders at nature parks such as Adventure Farm and Shurland’s, where you may see the Trinidad motmot and collared trogon.
Turtle watching
Between March and September, leatherback turtles come ashore at night to nest, mainly at Turtle Beach, Grafton and Stonehaven bays and Back Bay; according to the Tobago Tourism Agency, Tobago’s leatherback nesting population is the third largest in the world. Go with a registered tour guide or the conservation group Save Our Sea Turtles (SOS), never alone; flashlights and flash photography are prohibited unless your guide says otherwise, and keep your distance from nesting turtles and hatchlings.
Food and drink
Tobago’s signature dish is curried crab and dumplings, and the island is known for breads and cakes baked in clay ovens, fresh fish from the village beaches, and dasheen and other “blue food” root crops, celebrated each October at the Blue Food Festival in Bloody Bay. Try the food stalls at Store Bay, the beach bars of Pigeon Point and Castara, and the Sunday night street party at Buccoo, known as Sunday School.
Festivals in Tobago
- Carnival: Carnival Monday and Tuesday are celebrated on Tobago too (February 8–9, 2027, according to Tourism Trinidad).
- Buccoo Goat and Crab Race Festival: on Easter Tuesday (April 7 in 2026).
- Tobago Jazz, Music and Golf Weekend: in early May (May 1–3 in 2026).
- Tobago Heritage Festival: from mid-July to August 1 (July 16 to August 1 in 2026), with folk traditions such as the Ole Time Wedding, ending with the Emancipation Day parade.
- Great Race: in August (August 15 in 2026), a powerboat race from Trinidad ending in Tobago, with beach parties.
- Tobago Blue Food Festival: October 18, 2026, at Bloody Bay.
- Tobago Carnival: October 30 to November 1, 2026, the island’s own October carnival, with street parades and soca.
Getting there and getting around
By air
A.N.R. Robinson International Airport (TAB), at Crown Point, is a few minutes from Pigeon Point and Store Bay. According to the Tobago Tourism Agency, Caribbean Airlines flies the air bridge from Trinidad’s Piarco Airport in about 25 minutes, with daily and frequent departures, and direct flights to Tobago include British Airways from London Gatwick (weekly), Caribbean Airlines from New York JFK (weekly) and Barbados, and seasonal winter flights from Frankfurt with Condor. Book air-bridge flights early for weekends and holidays. All international arrivals complete the online arrival card at travel.gov.tt.
By ferry
The Trinidad and Tobago Inter-Island Transportation Company (TTIT) runs passenger ferries every day between Port of Spain and Scarborough, with air-conditioned seating and food on board. According to TTIT, the first sailings leave both ports at 6:30 a.m. on most weekdays and the last passenger ferries at 4 p.m., with fewer on Wednesdays; adult fares are TT$75 one way in economy and TT$150 in premium, and TT$50 and TT$100 for children aged 3 to 11. Arrive at least two hours early with your physical passport; check-in closes 45 minutes before departure. Tourism Trinidad gives a crossing time of 3 to 7 hours, depending on the vessel and conditions.
Getting around
A rental car is the best way to see the island; according to the Tobago Tourism Agency, foreign licenses are valid for three months, driving is on the left, seatbelts are compulsory, and hand-held phones are banned while driving. Roads have hairpin bends and potholes, taxis stop without warning, and animals wander onto the road; there are seven gas stations on the island, one of them open 24 hours, near the airport. Taxis have “H” plates and can be flagged down; agree on the fare first. Public buses cover the island, with fares of TT$3–8.
When to go and how long to stay
Tobago is warm all year, between about 23 and 32 °C (73–90 °F), according to the Tobago Tourism Agency. The dry season runs from January to May and the wet season from June to December, according to the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service, which notes that Tobago is drier than Trinidad, with its rainfall peak in November, and that within the hurricane season (June to November, peaking from August to October) Tobago is affected by storms more often than Trinidad. The Meteorological Service’s 1991–2020 normals for its Crown Point station, at the airport, give these figures:
| Measure (Crown Point, 1991–2020) | Value |
|---|---|
| Warmest months by day | September, average high 31.5 °C (89 °F); May, 31.3 °C (88 °F) |
| Warmest nights | May and September, average low 25.1 °C (77 °F) |
| Driest month | March, 43 mm (1.7 in) of rain |
| Wettest months | November, 219 mm (8.6 in); October, 179 mm (7.0 in) |
| December | 136 mm (5.4 in), the driest month of the wet season |
The Tobago Tourism Agency notes that the UV index can reach 12, so use SPF 50 sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses. The busiest times are Christmas and New Year, Easter, and the July–August holidays, when Trinidadians come over; Carnival weekend is busy on Trinidad but quieter on Tobago.
Four days on Tobago
Day one: Pigeon Point and Store Bay. Day two: a glass-bottom boat to Buccoo Reef and the Nylon Pool, then Fort King George and Scarborough. Day three: drive the Caribbean coast to Castara and Englishman’s Bay, then cross the Main Ridge with a guided walk on the Gilpin Trace. Day four: Argyle Falls and Speyside, with a boat trip to Little Tobago or a dive.
A week or more
Add a few nights in Castara, Speyside or Charlotteville, more diving or birding, Pirate’s Bay and Flagstaff Hill, a night turtle watch from March to September, and Buccoo’s Sunday night party.
Where to stay in Tobago
- Crown Point: the widest choice of hotels, guesthouses and apartments, walking distance from Pigeon Point, Store Bay and restaurants.
- Buccoo, Mount Irvine and Grafton: beach resorts, villas and golf, on the sunset coast.
- Castara and the Caribbean coast: guesthouses and small lodges in fishing villages.
- Speyside and Charlotteville: small hotels and guesthouses for divers, birders and travelers seeking quiet.
According to the Tobago Tourism Agency, a 10% hotel tax is added, plus 12.5% VAT, and some places add service and utility charges.
What a visit to Tobago costs
Prices are approximate, for October 2026, in Trinidad and Tobago dollars (about TT$6.80 to US$1).
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Pigeon Point Heritage Park entry, adult / child 6–12 | TT$20 / TT$10 |
| Argyle Falls entry | TT$60 (guide extra) |
| Inter-island ferry, adult, economy, one way | TT$75 |
| Bus fare | TT$3–8 |
| Glass-bottom boat to Buccoo Reef and the Nylon Pool | US$25–40 |
| Crab and dumplings at Store Bay | TT$80–120 |
| Two-tank dive | US$100–150 |
| Guided Main Ridge hike or turtle watch | US$40–80 |
| Rental car, per day | US$45–75 |
| Guesthouse double, per night | US$60–120 |
| Beach resort double, high season, per night | US$200–450 |
Practical tips for Tobago
- Book the air bridge early: flights fill up on weekends, holidays and around festivals.
- Carry cash: many small shops, bars and stalls take cash only.
- Fill up the tank: gas stations are few outside the southwest.
- Use guides: for the Main Ridge, remote waterfalls and turtle watching.
- Protect the reef: use reef-safe sunscreen and do not stand on coral.
Safety
Tobago is relaxed, and the usual precautions apply: do not leave valuables on the beach or in view in your car, use your hotel safe, and take care on unlit roads at night. Swim where lifeguards are on duty, as at Pigeon Point and Store Bay, and watch for currents on the Atlantic side. For emergencies, call 999 for the police, 990 for the fire service and 811 for an ambulance; Tobago emergency relief is on 211, according to the Tobago Tourism Agency.
What to pack for Tobago
Swimwear and a cover-up, a sun hat, sunglasses and SPF 50 reef-safe sunscreen, water shoes for rocky beaches and river pools, hiking shoes for the Main Ridge, a light rain jacket from June to December, insect repellent, a dry bag for boat trips, and long clothes and comfortable shoes for a night turtle watch. No camouflage clothing, which is illegal. Sockets are North American type; see our travel adapters guide.
Tobago travel FAQ
How do I get from Trinidad to Tobago?
By Caribbean Airlines’ air bridge, about 25 minutes from Piarco, or by the TTIT ferry from Port of Spain to Scarborough, from TT$75 one way for adults in economy.
Is there an entry fee for Pigeon Point?
Yes: TT$20 for adults and TT$10 for children aged 6 to 12; free for people 65 and over with ID. Store Bay, next door, is free.
What is the Nylon Pool?
A shallow, clear sandbar in the sea near Buccoo Reef, where you can stand in waist-deep water; it is reached by glass-bottom boat.
When can I see turtles nesting in Tobago?
From March to September, at night, with a registered guide or Save Our Sea Turtles; Turtle Beach, Grafton and Stonehaven bays and Back Bay are the main sites.
Do I need a car in Tobago?
Not if you stay in Crown Point and take tours, but a car makes it easy to reach the Caribbean coast, the rainforest and Speyside. Drive on the left.
When is Tobago Carnival?
Tobago’s own October carnival runs from October 30 to November 1, 2026, according to the Tobago Tourism Agency; the national Carnival days, February 8–9, 2027, are also celebrated on the island.
How old is the Main Ridge Forest Reserve?
It was established in 1776 and is described as the oldest legally protected forest in the Western Hemisphere; it is part of a UNESCO biosphere reserve since 2020.
What is the best time to visit Tobago?
January to May, the dry season; December to April for birding; and March to September for turtles.
Plan your trip
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Sources · last reviewed 6 October 2026
Researched and last reviewed on 6 October 2026. Beaches, the Nylon Pool, the Main Ridge, waterfalls and the Argyle Falls fee, diving, birds, turtles, festivals and dates, flights, driving, buses, gas stations, taxes, temperatures, UV and emergency numbers: the Tobago Tourism Agency (visittobago.gov.tt); Pigeon Point fees and hours and Fort King George: Tourism Trinidad’s attractions directory, citing the Tobago Tourism Agency and the Tobago House of Assembly; Carnival 2027 dates and the ferry crossing time: Tourism Trinidad; ferry fares, schedules and check-in: the Trinidad and Tobago Inter-Island Transportation Company; the online arrival card: the Ministry of Homeland Security; seasons and Crown Point climate normals: the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service; the biosphere reserve: UNESCO; area: Wikidata. Area descriptions, Buccoo’s Sunday School, the island’s length, and boat, dive, tour, food, car and hotel prices are general references or estimates, flagged for checking. For entry rules, money and general tips, see our Trinidad and Tobago travel guide.
Data: Weather: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · Sea temperature: NOAA CoastWatch · Rates: ECB · Wikidata (CC0)