A Week in Castara: The Prettiest Little Village in Tobago

I’ve been to Tobago a number of times now, so I wanted to spend a bit of time trying to find a place that I had not yet been, and somewhere that was lesser visited by tourists to the Island.

Speyside seemed like an option–but I had been there, and it was still quite a popular destination for visitors. Perhaps Charlotteville could have worked.. but it still felt a bit busy, and might have posed some difficulties for getting around the Island. And then, in some sort of Fairytale-like miracle, I stumbled upon Castara. No bears or blondes were involved.

Castara is a sleepy little fishing village on the west side of the Island, up past countless bays, and even more twists and turns of the one road that winds around this part of the Island. The only thing that rivals it’s quaintness is (and I can’t believe I’m about to say such a cheesy line, but) it’s beauty. Just picture a series of small homes painted in vibrant Caribbean colours, scattered amongst rolling greens hills, all surrounded by palm-covered mountains that only meet at the turquoise waters of the Sea.

As someone who has been a lot of places, I can tell you right now–Castara is my new favourite little town.

And the best part of Castara? The Boatview Apartments and Boathouse Restaurant.

The Boatview Apartments

After we decided on Castara, it came down to finding a place to stay. Of course, there were some hotel options in town, but we wanted to truly experience it how a local might, and decided an apartment would be perfect.

More research.

There was plenty of scrolling and searching, but it came down to three things. We wanted:

A place that we could be self sufficient, and cook some of our own meals in a kitchen.
Somewhere that was far enough away from the hustle & bustle, but still had easy access to amenities.
A room with a view, and a spot to sit and enjoy that view.

The Boatview Apartments offered all that, and then some. Ultimately, it was the incredible view that drew me in, and the apartments themselves finished the job.

The apartments are organized by coloured room names, and each one is decorated to fit it’s label. In our case, we stayed in the very blue, Blue Room.

The decor was pretty much straight out of my own brain, as it was actually all shades of my favourite colour (more of a turquoise/teal), and patterns of tie-dyed pillows. The surrounding walls were blue, and had curtains and accents to match.

The self-catering studio apartments come fully equipped with a ceiling fan, a very comfortable large king-sized bed with mosquito net (which is great if you plan to sleep with the patio doors open), a pull-out sofa bed for guests, two standing fans, a large fridge with freezer, stove, microwave oven, kitchen utensils and tableware.

And the view.

Oh, the view.

By far, the best thing about any of the rooms is the view.

The Blue room is on the end facing the Island, so it gives unparalleled views of both sea and mountains. Standing on the very large balcony, you can scan from bungalows and neighbouring apartments on the hillside, up the rocky ridge between the bays, down to the restaurant and beach below, continuing out to cliffs and open Sea in the distance.

And, as entrancing as the waves and vast open ocean are, I actually spent most of my time just staring at the trees and overgrown hillsides beside us. Each morning I woke up with my feet facing the mountains, and couldn’t help but just lay there in awe.

Each balcony has a set of chairs with a table, a clothing line for drying, and plenty of space. The Blue Room shares a series of hummingbird feeders with the next apartment, along with a jug of syrup for refills. We certainly spent our fair share of time trying to stand still and watch the cheeky little birds flitter up to the feeders, sometimes 6 at a time.

*The only thing I’ll mention, is that if you don’t want too much sun, I’d recommend booking one of the other apartments, as they are shaded by large trees in front of the balconies (not to mention that the view through the trees is pretty spectacular). But, the blue room is probably the best option for sun worshipers.

The Boathouse Restaurant

The patio of the restaurants is another thing that really drew me into staying at the apartments above. I had seen some photos of the view, and it looked pretty much perfect. Perched up on a wooden platform above the sand, a series of table line the deck that faces the wide bay, and gives views in all directions. Framed by trees and leaves, it’s as if the sunset becomes a natural canvas, behind which you enjoy your dinner.

The meals themselves were a close match for the scenery, with delicious new dishes and flavours each day. I could eat the shark or curry chicken everyday without getting sick of them, which is probably why I kept ordering them for almost every meal. Some of my favourite side dishes were pumpkin curry, pasta salad, breadfruit pie, and Callalloo.

And, you can literally watch your lunch coming in out of the ocean, as fisherman bring their freshly caught fish right up on the beach to hand deliver to the kitchen. It can’t get much more fresh than that.

During the days and evenings, the bar quickly became my favourite spot to have a cold Stag, and simply sit & watch the friendly local dogs playing on the beach.

And of course, I can’t forget about dinner & drum nights.

Every Wednesday, the place is transformed into an African Drumming floor, where locals and tourists alike, dance & limbo the night away. People come from all over Tobago to experience an evening of up-beat music and friendly competition.

We enjoyed our dinner during sunset, popped back up to the room until we heard drums from below, and then spent the evening watching the show. Wade even had a chance to get on the drums, which was pretty much a dream for him, as a drummer.

Definitely plan your trip around a Wednesday night.

The Beach

Castara itself is split up into two beaches; the main beach, or Big Bay, and the smaller beach which Boathouse is home to, Little Bay.

Even as visitors passing by town, most people will choose Little Bay, as it is the smaller, and arguably more beautiful option. While both bays are generally inviting to swimmers, the area in front of Boathouse offers a more secluded area to take a dip, with slightly shallower waves, and the occasional friendly sea pancake (read: adorable little stingrays).

We happened to arrive just after some strange weather, so the Sea was making a bit of a fuss, and swimming was not recommended. However, every local said that they had never seen the beach like that before, and I believe it. In general though, Little Bay is one of the best spots on the Island to take a dip.

Wade did manage to get in the water during our last two days, and said it was amazing.

The Village of Castara

One of my favourite parts about the Boatview Apartments is that it’s set within such a beautiful traditional fishing village, and you can’t help but take advantage of your surroundings when staying there.

Sure, you can make the usual drive over to Pigeon Point if you’re staying in southern Tobago, but imagine taking a short stroll right into town, making your way past lush hills, vines of brightly coloured flowers, and small bungalows surrounded by banana trees.

A small path connects the two bays, and leads you into the sleepy little village, made up of only a few streets, and the beach itself. Options in town include a number of intimate local bars, a couple of spots to grab a bite, a fresh stone bread oven, one main market, and plenty of smiling faces.

It’s truly unlike anywhere else that I’ve ever been.

We also went on a tour of the Island with Island Girl Tours, but more on that later…

TikToks

@seattledredgeFlying to Tobago ?????? Airplane Mode – Limbo

@seattledredgeDriving to Castara ??? FML – Arizona Zervas

@seattledredgeOur #Tobago apartment ???????? original sound – seattledredge

@seattledredgeI ordered eggs for breakfast, buuuut…? Don’t be suspicious – dumbbishsauce

@seattledredgewhen you’re sleeping an an apocalyptic dragon wakes you up ?? Devil Horn – alex_falco

@seattledredge?? Laws of Tobago?? original sound – your.brain.on.adhd

@seattledredgeLast night’s sunset ??? Sunset Lover – Petit Biscuit

@seattledredgeTRINIDAD+TOBAGO??? original sound – _ritikaaaa

@seattledredgeExploring Castara ?????? Never Be Like You (feat. Kai) – Flume

@seattledredge ? Counterparty(#rotationchallenge) – Hipinoze

@seattledredgeWhen your life actually used to be a vacation every day ??? Vacation – Dirty Heads

@seattledredgeA day in the life at Boat View Apartments, Castara ??? #tobago #trinidadandtobago #travel #castara #tiktoktravel #dayinthelife ? death bed – Powfu