The glass-bottom boats leave from the jetty. Out in the water lies Goat Island, and behind it Little Tobago. The village beach itself is just a narrow strip of grey sand, Rough Guides says so bluntly. You come here for the water. Speyside is Tobago's diving centre, and the reefs lie right off the coast.
- north-east of Scarborough
- 26 km
- Coast
- Atlantic side
- Bays
- two
- by boat to Little Tobago
- about 20 min
Reefs and islands shelter the bay, and the water is usually calm (discovertnt). Tyrrel's Bay is the beach in the village. Batteaux Bay, further north, is reached only through the Blue Waters Inn, which makes it a hotel beach in practice. And Speyside sits on the side where sargassum washes in: the island government lists it alongside Hope, Blenheim and Kendall, and in 2025 an aid package from UNDP and Japan brought Speyside a 1,000-metre barrier and an aluminium boat with a conveyor belt.
Under water lie some well-known sites. At Kelleston Drain, south of Little Tobago, grows a brain coral about three metres high and five metres across; Guinness lists it as the largest colony of its kind, discovertnt as the largest in the Caribbean. In 2024 it too showed bleaching. Japanese Gardens on the fringes of Goat Island is described as suitable for all levels.
At a glance
- Access
- Along the Windward Road. Batteaux Bay is reached only through the Blue Waters Inn, and there is a jetty on Lucy Vale Road (Wikipedia).
- Swimming
- Sheltered by reefs and islands, usually calm. The village beach is narrow, and sargassum often washes in, so ask locally how it looks.
- Snorkelling
- Good (discovertnt). Glass-bottom boats run to Angel Reef, Goat Island and Little Tobago.
- Facilities
- Toilets at Jemma's Treehouse Kitchen (discovertnt, 2018), a beach facility run by the island government THA (as of 2020), and the hotel's facilities at Batteaux Bay.
Our tipLittle Tobago, a bird sanctuary and nesting site of red-billed tropicbirds, can only be visited with an authorised guide. There are no facilities on the island, so take water and bring your rubbish back.
Speyside: Tyrrel's Bay and Batteaux Bay: frequently asked questions
Is Speyside on the Caribbean or the Atlantic side?
Speyside is on the Atlantic side in north-east Tobago. Reefs and the offshore islands of Goat Island and Little Tobago shelter the bay, which is why the water is usually calm.
Is there sargassum in Speyside?
Yes, Speyside is one of the places on Tobago's Atlantic side where sargassum often washes in. In 2025 an aid package from UNDP and Japan gave Speyside a barrier and a collection boat with a conveyor belt.
How do you get from Speyside to Little Tobago?
By boat: glass-bottom boats cross from Speyside in about 20 minutes. Little Tobago can only be visited with an authorised guide, and there are no facilities on the island.
Where is the giant brain coral near Speyside?
At the dive site Kelleston Drain, south of Little Tobago off Speyside. The brain coral is about three metres high and five metres across, and Guinness lists it as the largest colony of its kind.