Shortly after sunrise fishermen on Castara beach haul a net out of the bay, hand over hand. Anyone up early stands by and watches. The houses on the slope above still have their shutters closed. Castara is a village where visitors stay, not a resort dressed up as a village.
- People, 2011 census
- 580
- Bays in the village
- 2
- Coast
- Caribbean side
The village lived from fishing and farming. Tourists have only come since the 1990s, according to English Wikipedia. Today Rough Guides calls Castara the busiest holiday spot on this coast, with guesthouses and small places to stay but no large resort hotels. The 2011 census counted 580 people in the Castara community. A.N.R. Robinson grew up here, later the third prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago.
Two bays belong to the village. The large one, Big Bay, lies right in front of it, with a restaurant, a bar and a minimart on the sand. Next door, beyond a rocky point, is the smaller Little Bay, also called Heavenly Bay, reached down a steep drive. And three kilometres further east, Englishman's Bay begins.
Getting there, sleeping, eating
- Getting there
- By car about 40 minutes from Scarborough and an hour from Crown Point, according to Wikivoyage. Taxis and buses are hard to find out here, a hire car makes things much easier.
- Sleeping
- Guesthouses, small places and holiday apartments on the slope above the bays. Which places our booking partner lists here is on the accommodation page.
- Eating
- Restaurant, bar and minimart at Big Bay. The fishing depot served fish broth, according to the tourism agency (as of 2022).
- Evenings
- According to the tourism agency a bonfire burns on the beach on Thursdays (as of 2022), and in August the fishermen hold their Castara Fishermen's Fete.
- Nearby
- Castara waterfall above the village and a lookout on Northside Road just before the turn down into the village.
Our tipStop at the lookout on Northside Road before the road drops into the village. From the lay-by you see both bays at once.
Castara: frequently asked questions
How do you get from Crown Point to Castara?
By car it takes about an hour from Crown Point to Castara and about 40 minutes from Scarborough, according to Wikivoyage. Taxis and buses are hard to find there, so a hire car is the easier choice.
Are there big hotels in Castara?
No. Castara has guesthouses, small places to stay and holiday apartments, but no large resort hotels, as Rough Guides describes it.
Which beaches belong to Castara?
Castara has two bays: the large Big Bay right by the village and the smaller Little Bay, also called Heavenly Bay, beyond a rocky point. Englishman's Bay lies about three kilometres further east.
What is seine fishing in Castara?
In Castara fishermen haul a large net by hand from the bay onto the beach in the morning. You can watch, but the fishermen are working, so keep clear of the net and the ropes.