Dirt tracks lead from the road to the sand, with a blind bend just before you get there. Then the bay opens up, a river running out at the western end. A two-storey hotel stands on the beach and vendors sell their goods. Great Courland Bay is the most important leatherback nesting ground in Tobago, with around 390 nests a year on average. That is how the Trinidad Express quoted Dr Michelle Cazabon-Mannette in 2024.
- Length of beach
- about 1.6 km
- Leatherback nests a year
- about 390
- Start of nesting season
- from March
- Coast
- Caribbean side
When the turtles come depends on the source. The tourism department (2010) and Rough Guides say March to August. SOS Tobago counts from 1 March to 30 September, and discovertnt also gives March to September. The Guardian put the 2026 season at 1 March to 31 August, for the country as a whole. The peak, according to discovertnt, is June to August. In April 2024 excavation work destroyed a nesting site on the beach, and the Environmental Management Authority investigated.
As for swimming: the bottom shelves steeply and the waves can get big, says Rough Guides. discovertnt calls it good, as long as you stay near the hotel. On 26 April 2024 a bull shark injured a British holidaymaker about ten metres from the shore. The authorities closed the west coast beaches. By 3 May 2024 all of them had reopened.
At a glance
- Access
- Several dirt tracks from the road, with a blind bend just before the beach (Rough Guides). The southern end is reached by side roads from Black Rock.
- Swimming
- Steeply shelving, big waves at times. Stay near the hotel and close to shore.
- Snorkelling
- Arnos Vale, a little further north, is the better-known spot for snorkelling.
- Facilities
- Hotel on the beach, umbrellas for hotel guests only, vendors. discovertnt lists kayak and Hobie Cat hire and horse riding (as of 2018).
Our tipAt night on a nesting beach: no torch, no flash, keep your distance and never touch the turtles. Best go with SOS Tobago or a reputable guide.
Turtle Beach: frequently asked questions
When do leatherbacks nest at Turtle Beach in Tobago?
Nesting at Turtle Beach starts in March. Sources differ on when it ends: Rough Guides says August, SOS Tobago counts until the end of September.
Can you swim at Turtle Beach?
Yes, but the bottom at Turtle Beach shelves steeply and the waves can get big. discovertnt advises staying close to the hotel.
Is Turtle Beach open again after the 2024 shark attack?
Yes. After a bull shark attack on 26 April 2024, Turtle Beach and the other west coast beaches of Tobago were closed; all beaches reopened on 3 May 2024.
How should you behave around turtles at Turtle Beach?
At night on Turtle Beach: no torch and no flash, keep quiet, keep your distance and do not touch the animals. SOS Tobago, NEST Tobago and reputable guides run tours.