From the Argyle Falls car park you walk for about a quarter of an hour. Then the water drops over three tiers, each with its own pool. At 54 metres Argyle Falls is Tobago's highest waterfall, and it lies right on the edge of Roxborough.
- People, 2011 census
- 2,089
- Argyle Falls
- 54 m
- Coast
- Atlantic side
You pay at the hut of the Roxborough Estate Visitor Service Co-Operative. Whether a guide is included depends on the source: Rough Guides and Lonely Planet say yes, with a tip expected, while the airports authority lists the guide as extra. According to Rough Guides you can swim in the second tier. The highest single drop, according to Caribbean Beat, belongs instead to Highland Falls near Moriah.
Rough Guides calls Roxborough itself the largest village on the windward coast, a little run-down. It takes its name from the Roxborough Estate cocoa plantation. The Belmanna uprising against harsh sharecropping terms began here in 1876, and a year later Tobago became a crown colony. The 2011 census counted 2,089 people in Roxborough.
Getting there, sleeping, eating
- Getting there
- Along Windward Road on the Atlantic coast. Or from Parlatuvier on the north coast straight across the Main Ridge, about half an hour through the forest according to Rough Guides.
- Sleeping
- Hotels and inns are further north-east in Speyside. Which places our booking partner lists here is on the accommodation page.
- Eating
- Snack bars and a petrol station in the village, Rough Guides says.
- Swimming
- Not on the village beach: Rough Guides calls it rubbish-strewn, discovertnt often rough. For a swim drive east through Delaford to King's Bay.
- Hiking
- The Gilpin Trace through the rainforest starts on the road to Parlatuvier. According to Rough Guides most guides there come from Roxborough and Parlatuvier.
- For divers
- According to the island government THA there was a decompression chamber at the hospital in Roxborough (as of 2022).
Our tipBring swimwear and some cash for the tip. Ask at the hut straight away whether the guide is included.
Roxborough: frequently asked questions
How high is Argyle Falls near Roxborough?
Argyle Falls near Roxborough is 54 metres high and drops over three tiers, each with its own pool; it counts as Tobago's highest waterfall. Caribbean Beat credits Highland Falls near Moriah with the highest single drop.
Is a guide included at Argyle Falls?
Sources disagree: Rough Guides and Lonely Planet say the guide is included in the Argyle Falls entrance fee and a tip is usual, the airports authority lists the guide as extra. Ask at the co-operative's hut before you pay.
How long is the walk to Argyle Falls?
From the car park to Argyle Falls near Roxborough it is about 15 minutes on foot according to Rough Guides. The airports authority says 15 to 20 minutes, Caribbean Beat 20 minutes.
How do you get from Roxborough to the north coast?
From Roxborough a road crosses the Main Ridge to Parlatuvier on the north coast. According to Rough Guides it takes about half an hour through the forest.