Tobago

Tobago is an island roughly 40 kilometers long and 12 kilometers wide in the southern Caribbean, forming the smaller half of the nation of Trinidad and Tobago. The southwestern tip holds calm bays with white sand and shallow water, while steep hills covered in dense forest rise directly from narrow beaches along the northern coast.

Christopher Columbus sighted the island in 1498 during his third voyage, though permanent European settlement began only in the 1630s with a Dutch colony. Control shifted repeatedly among Spain, France, Britain, and the Netherlands until Britain secured it in 1814, eventually joining it with Trinidad in 1889.

Goat racing takes place in small villages during Easter, with trained animals sprinting down dirt tracks while families cheer and place friendly bets. Local fishermen launch colorful pirogues at dawn, returning in the afternoon to clean their catch under wooden shelters by the shore.

The dry season from January through May brings clearer skies and calmer seas, making it easier to explore remote beaches and dive on offshore reefs. Roads are paved along the main coastal routes, but inland tracks toward forest trails can be rough and muddy after afternoon showers.

Leatherback turtles emerge from the sea at night between March and August to dig nests and lay eggs on select beaches, drawing observers who wait quietly in the darkness. Local guides lead small groups to witness hatchlings scramble toward the surf, moving instinctively under moonlight hours after breaking free from their shells.