The beach in front of the village belongs mostly to the fishermen. At high tide only a thin strip of sand is left. Next to it stands the Buccoo Integrated Facility, with a dance floor, crafts, an information kiosk and a fish restaurant upstairs. Buccoo is known for Sunday School, the weekly party, and for the goat races at Easter.
- Coast
- Caribbean side
- Buccoo Reef protected
- since 1973
- Sunday School
- weekly
- Goat races
- Easter
Whether this is a good place to swim depends on the source. The tourism agency described Buccoo Bay in 2022 as calm, with lifeguards and well suited to swimming and snorkelling. Rough Guides sees the beach in front of the village as a fishing beach, not really a swimming spot, with only the western end clean. And watch the trees: manchineel trees are poisonous, and you can tell them by the white ring on the trunk.
Out in the bay lies Buccoo Reef. It has been protected since 1973 and, together with Bon Accord Lagoon next door, has been a Ramsar site since 2005. No walking on it. Boats run only under the THA rules of April 2022. The tourism agency also mentions horse rides through the water and seine fishing with a drag net from the beach.
At a glance
- Access
- Large car park at the Buccoo Integrated Facility (Rough Guides).
- Swimming
- Contradictory: calm, with lifeguards (tourism agency, 2022) or hardly a swimming beach (Rough Guides). Very narrow at high tide, avoid secluded corners.
- Snorkelling
- Good according to the tourism agency (2022). Buccoo Reef itself is protected and must not be walked on.
- Facilities
- Buccoo Integrated Facility with toilets, information kiosk, crafts, dance floor and fish restaurant.
Our tipIf you want to swim, head for the western end of the beach. Rough Guides describes it as clean, and discovertnt advises against the secluded corners.
Buccoo Beach: frequently asked questions
Can you swim at Buccoo Beach in Tobago?
Sources disagree: the tourism agency called the beach on Buccoo Bay calm and lifeguarded in 2022, while Rough Guides sees it mainly as a fishing beach. According to Rough Guides the western end is the cleanest.
What is Sunday School in Buccoo?
Sunday School is a weekly party in the fishing village of Buccoo on the west coast of Tobago. Buccoo is also known for its goat races at Easter.
Can you walk on the reef at Buccoo Beach?
No. Buccoo Reef off Buccoo Beach has been protected since 1973 and a Ramsar site since 2005; walking on it is not allowed. Boat trips run under the THA rules of April 2022.
What should you watch out for at Buccoo Beach?
Manchineel trees grow at Buccoo Beach and are poisonous. According to Rough Guides you can recognise them by the white ring on the trunk, so do not sit beneath them, and avoid the secluded corners of the beach.