Past Castara the Northside Road climbs again, bend after bend. Below lies a bay, then the next one. Fishing boats on the sand, forest down to the water. At Englishman's Bay a single building stands on the beach.
Tobago is the smaller of the two islands that together make up Trinidad and Tobago. About 40 kilometres long, 300 or 308 square kilometres in area, depending on which Wikipedia you ask. The 2011 census counted just over 60,000 people. The island largely governs itself, through the Tobago House of Assembly in Scarborough. People speak English and pay in Trinidad and Tobago dollars.
Two halves of an island
The south-west is flat. This is where the planes land and where most of the hotels stand, and Store Bay lies right next to the airport. The jetty at Pigeon Point is just beyond. Beyond lies Buccoo Reef, protected since 1973.
Towards the north-east the land rises. The spine of the island is the Main Ridge, and its rainforest was placed under protection in 1776. That makes the forest reserve 250 years old in 2026. Along the north coast below it sit villages such as Castara, Parlatuvier and Charlotteville, with guesthouses rather than resorts. Off Speyside in the north-east lie the reefs that divers come for. Which bay suits you is on the beaches page, what the villages are like on the villages page.
Getting there, and when
From Europe there are two direct options in winter. Condor flies from Frankfurt once a week between November and March in the 2026/27 schedule, on Tuesdays according to Condor and with a stop in Barbados. British Airways flies from London Gatwick via Barbados; a route announcement gives twice a week from 27 October 2026, press reports speak of daily connections. Otherwise you change in Trinidad or Barbados, and the island hop from Trinidad takes about 20 to 25 minutes. Since 14 October 2026 you arrive at the new terminal of the airport at Crown Point.
According to the weather service it is dry from January to May. June to December is the rainy season, with Tobago's wettest month in November. The hurricane season runs from June to the end of November. How much it affects Tobago, two authorities see differently: the German Foreign Office places the islands outside the direct hurricane belt, while the Trinidad and Tobago weather service says Tobago is hit directly more often than Trinidad. The details are on getting there and when to go.
NoteSince 17 March 2026 you need an online arrival card to enter the country. It is free, and you fill it in at travel.gov.tt no earlier than 72 hours before you travel. Sites that charge for it are third parties.
- By the seaBeaches and bays
From Pigeon Point and its jetty to the bay at the bottom of the long stairway near Charlotteville.
- UnderwaterDiving and snorkelling
Off Speyside grows a brain coral that Guinness lists as the largest colony of its kind.
- OutdoorsRainforest, birds and hiking
The Main Ridge forest has been protected since 1776 and counts among the oldest reserves in the world.
- On the beachTurtle watching
Mainly from March into the summer, leatherback turtles come ashore at night on Tobago's beaches to lay their eggs.
- The islandVillages on Tobago
Fishing villages on the north coast, hotels at the south-western tip and Scarborough in between.
- CelebrateFestivals and carnival
On Easter Tuesday goats race in Buccoo, and have done since 1925, so the story goes.
- BackgroundHistory
Dutch, Courlanders, French, British: hardly any Caribbean island changed hands so often.
- FoodFood and drink
Curry crab and dumpling is the island's dish, and the stalls at Store Bay serve it.
- StayPlaces to stay
Hotels with booking links around Crown Point, guesthouses on the north coast.
- Length
- about 40 kmwidth 10 to 12 km, depending on the source
- Population
- 60,8742011 census
- To Trinidad
- 30 to 35 kmdepending on the source
- Rainforest protected
- since 1776Main Ridge Forest Reserve
- Dry season
- January to Mayaccording to the weather service
Frequently asked questions about Tobago
Where exactly is Tobago?
Tobago lies in the southern Caribbean north-east of Trinidad, with which it forms the country of Trinidad and Tobago. Sources put the distance between the islands at about 30 or 35 kilometres. Tobago itself is about 40 kilometres long and some ten to twelve kilometres wide.
Is Tobago a separate country?
No. Tobago is part of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, but has its own island government, the Tobago House of Assembly. Trinidad and Tobago have been united since 1 January 1889, and the country has been independent from Britain since 31 August 1962.
Are there direct flights to Tobago from Europe?
Yes. In the 2026/27 winter schedule Condor flies once a week from Frankfurt to Tobago between November and March, on Tuesdays according to Condor, and British Airways flies from London Gatwick via Barbados. Otherwise you connect through Trinidad or Barbados; the hop from Trinidad takes about 20 to 25 minutes.
Which part of Tobago suits whom?
The south-west around Crown Point has the airport, most of the hotels and the best-known beaches such as Pigeon Point. For quiet and village life, stay on the north coast in places like Castara or Charlotteville, and divers head for Speyside in the north-east.