The dirt track ends, then it is step after step downhill. At the bottom lies the cove, the water clear and calm. The sand is multicoloured, some sources call it pink. Pirate's Bay sits where the Caribbean and Atlantic sides meet, as discovertnt puts it. There are no facilities at Pirate's Bay, so bring your own water and food.
- Steps, depending on the source
- 144 to 159
- on foot from Charlotteville, depending on the source
- 10 to 20 min
- Facilities
- none
- "Robinson Crusoe" filmed here
- 1952
How many steps? Nobody agrees. Discovertnt counts 157 in one article and 144 in another, the travel site TripBase arrives at 159, and in 2022 the tourism agency wrote of just a few dozen. The walk from Charlotteville is no different: 20 minutes according to Wikipedia, 10 minutes according to Lonely Planet, with the dirt track alone about half a mile long. The way back climbs the whole staircase again.
In 2010 the tourism department wrote of some of the best snorkelling on the island, and discovertnt also rates it as good. If the stairs put you off, ask a fisherman at Man o' War Bay for a ride across. In 1952 a film crew shot "Robinson Crusoe" here. English Wikipedia gives the cove a second name: "Little Italy".
At a glance
- Access
- From Charlotteville about half a mile along a dirt track, then down the staircase. Or by boat with a fisherman from Man o' War Bay (Lonely Planet, tourism agency 2022).
- Swimming
- Calm and clear, good for swimming (tourism agency 2020 and 2022, discovertnt).
- Snorkelling
- Some of the best on the island per the tourism department (2010), rated good by discovertnt and the tourism agency in 2022 as well.
- Facilities
- None. No food, no toilets.
Our tipTake plenty of water. There is nothing to buy at the bottom, and whatever you bring you carry back up the stairs.
Pirate's Bay: frequently asked questions
How many steps lead down to Pirate's Bay?
Sources differ: discovertnt gives 157 and 144 steps, TripBase 159, and the tourism agency spoke of a few dozen in 2022. The staircase to Pirate's Bay starts at the end of a dirt track from Charlotteville.
Can you reach Pirate's Bay by boat?
Yes. Fishermen from Man o' War Bay in Charlotteville take visitors to Pirate's Bay, as Lonely Planet and Tobago's tourism agency describe it.
Can you get food at Pirate's Bay?
No, Pirate's Bay has no facilities, neither food nor toilets. Bring water and supplies from Charlotteville.
Which film was shot at Pirate's Bay?
Pirate's Bay near Charlotteville in Tobago was a location for the 1952 film "Robinson Crusoe".