Tobago

Tobago is the smaller island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, lying in the southern Caribbean and noted for beaches, coral reefs and rainforest. The island covers about 300 square kilometres and has Scarborough as its main urban centre.

Reef and snorkeling sites around Buccoo Reef and the shallow, sand-bottomed Nylon Pool, coastal beaches popular for swimming and diving, and the Main Ridge Forest Reserve, a protected upland rainforest area valued for birdlife and biodiversity.

Indigenous peoples inhabited Tobago before European colonization, and the island changed hands among colonial powers across the 17th and 18th centuries before becoming part of the modern republic. Tourism and conservation are important parts of the island’s contemporary economy.

Tobago lies northeast of the larger island of Trinidad across the Tobago Channel, and is accessible by air and by ferry services from Trinidad.

• Size: Covers roughly 300 square kilometres and forms the smaller, less industrialised half of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
• Conservation: Main Ridge Forest Reserve was set aside in the 18th century (1776) and remains a key site for birdwatching and rainforest hiking.

What to See#

• Scarborough: The island’s main town and administrative centre on the leeward north coast, hosting government services, markets and the main port linking to Trinidad.
• Main Ridge Forest Reserve: A protected tropical forest reserve on the island’s ridge, set aside in 1776 and often cited as one of the oldest legally protected forest reserves in the Western Hemisphere.
• Buccoo Reef and the Nylon Pool: A fringing coral area with shallow sand shoals and a popular snorkeling spot known as the Nylon Pool located near Buccoo Reef.

Fly to A.N.R. Robinson International Airport (TAB) at Crown Point on Tobago; regular inter-island flights operate from Piarco International Airport (Port of Spain) - check current carriers and timetables. There are also occasional ferry services between Trinidad and Tobago; verify availability before travel.

From Crown Point airport it is a car or taxi ride to Scarborough (Tobago’s main town), typically around 20-30 minutes by road. Local taxis and rental cars are the common ways to get around the island.

• Fly into ANR Robinson/Tobago International (Crown Point) and book any Buccoo Reef or Nylon Pool boat trips in advance-popular excursions can sell out, especially on weekends.
• For reef and snorkeling trips, aim for the morning when the sea is calmer and visibility is usually better; many visitors who arrive later find wind and choppier water.
• Explore lesser‑visited north‑coast villages (for example Castara) if you want quieter beaches and a more local pace-these are often overlooked for the busier southwest resort strip.