The fishermen's boats lie on the beach in front of the village. Right beside them stands the Buccoo Integrated Facility, a dance floor below, a fish restaurant above. The village has its own race track. Visitors come to Buccoo mainly for two events: the Easter goat race and Sunday School on Sunday night.
- People in Buccoo/Coral Gardens, 2011 census
- 916
- Goat and Crab Race
- Easter Tuesday
- Buccoo Reef protected
- 1973
- Coast
- Caribbean side
The Goat and Crab Race is held on Easter Tuesday, the day after the Easter Monday horse races. It began in 1925, the story goes, with Samuel Callender from Barbados, as a counterpart to the horse racing of the upper class. Crabs race too. In 2026 it fell on 7 April. In 2027 Easter Tuesday is 30 March, so check the date before you travel.
Sunday School is a street party on Sunday night, steelpan first and DJs later, as Lonely Planet and responsibletravel describe it. Whether it is on during your stay is best checked at your hotel or at the information kiosk in the Integrated Facility. The 2011 census counted 916 people in the Buccoo/Coral Gardens community. The ruin of the house where Princess Margaret stayed in the late 1950s still stands in the village.
Getting there, sleeping, partying
- Getting there
- Large car park at the Integrated Facility (Rough Guides). In Scarborough, shared taxis leave from the "Buccoo/Bethel" taxi stand.
- Sleeping
- Guesthouses in the village, hotels in nearby Crown Point. Which places our booking partner lists here is on the accommodation page.
- Eating
- Fish restaurant upstairs in the Integrated Facility (Rough Guides).
- Swimming
- The tourism agency described the beach as calm and guarded in 2022. Rough Guides sees the stretch in front of the village mainly as a fishermen's beach and points swimmers to the clean western end.
- Reef
- Buccoo Reef has been protected since 1973 and a Ramsar site since 2005, about 7 square kilometres in size. You must not walk on it, boat tours follow the THA rules of April 2022.
- Events
- Goat and Crab Race on Easter Tuesday, Sunday School on Sunday night. More in the calendar of festivals in Tobago.
Our tipDo not sit under the manchineel trees on the beach, they are poisonous. You can spot them by the white ring marked on the trunk.
Buccoo: frequently asked questions
When is the goat race in Buccoo?
The Goat and Crab Race in Buccoo is held every year on Easter Tuesday, the day after the Easter Monday horse races. It now takes place at the Buccoo Integrated Facility.
Does Sunday School in Buccoo still happen?
Sunday School in Buccoo is a street party on Sunday night with steelpan and later DJs. Whether it is on for a particular Sunday is best checked at your hotel or at the information kiosk in the Integrated Facility.
Can you swim at the beach in Buccoo?
Sources disagree. The tourism agency described Buccoo beach as calm and guarded in 2022, while Rough Guides sees the stretch in front of the village as a fishermen's beach and recommends the western end.
Can you stand on Buccoo Reef?
No. Buccoo Reef has been a protected area since 1973 and walking on it is prohibited. Boats operate only under the rules the THA published in April 2022.