I’d like to start this post by making a point that I’m not promoting international travel at this point. We travelled to Tobago just before the pandemic began in 2020, and I simply did not feel right making this post until over a year later. David, the owner of Island Girl Tours, who so graciously hosted us on a tour of the Island, let me know that as the country is still closed to international visitors, he would like to start promoting localized tourism to residents from Trinidad and Tobago. I trust his opinion, and hope that many people from Trinidad will be able to pop over for a tour of the Island, until the rest of us are able to return safely. 

As mentioned, Wade & I travelled to Tobago back in January, 2020–however it wasn’t our first visit to the Island. We had both been together in 2016, and I’d been several times before that myself (even hosted by the tourism board itself). Needless to say, I thought I knew the Island pretty well. Boy, was I wrong.

It wasn’t until we rounded the corner back into the Bay of Castara, where we were staying, that I realized just how much of Tobago I hadn’t seen until our full day of hidden gems with Island Girl Tours.

We re-visited some of the places that I had already been to, but had a much more in depth experience, and learned more than I had before. We stopped into completely new places that I never even knew about, and drove through parts so the Island that I didn’t even know had roads. We learned where the locals prefer to hang out, compared to the regular tourist hot-spots, but also visited a few of the favourites along the way.

Basically, it was a comprehensive tour of everywhere outside of the Pigeon Point and Scarborough area, mashed into one full day of adventure and exploring.

Without giving away all of David’s secret spots (literally, hidden beaches down winding jungle trails) and complete itinerary, here are some of the special places we visited along the way, on our favourite trip to Tobago yet!

 

Englishman’s Bay & Parlatuvier Lookouts

Just around the corner from where we were staying, we started the tour with an overlooking view of Englishman’s Bay. I’d snorkelled here in the past, so it was pretty cool to see it from above. This was just a preview of what was to come that day.

The next lookout was over Parlatuvier, a colourful little town resting on golden sand, next to brilliant turquoise waters. I decided that we would have to spend some more time here on the next trip, as it looked like the perfect quiet little beach town, without any hustle & bustle.

 

Main Ridge Forest Reserve

Another destination I had explored in the past, but this time we entered from the other gate, and had a whole new experience. Main Ridge is the oldest protected forest in the Western Hemisphere being established in the 1760’s as a means to preserve the watershed of the island. David explained each piece of flora and fauna that we asked about, and had us on the lookout for exotic birds and species.

We trekked up and down dirt paths, winding through lush greens of palms and bamboo, eventually leading to different waterfalls and natural pools. It was a nice place to beat the rising heat of the morning.

Even if you’re not interested in a full Island tour–I’d recommend booking your trip to Main Ridge with David, as he’s definitely one of the most knowledgeable guides on the Island.

 

Shurland Nature Park

One of the happiest surprises of the tour was Shurland Nature Park, a hillside garden with an isle of hummingbird feeders, swarming with life. We all claimed a feeder, and quietly waited for the birds to come in to feed. Zip after zip, dozens of the tiny birds fleeted in and out of view, as we all tried to catch them on film. I can only imagine that we looked a little ridiculous from the road, but I didn’t really care.

While walking back toward the car, something caught my eye… a hammock hanging in a little hut on the other side of the garden. I squealed. I spent the rest of my time swinging above the hill, as the rest of the group kept watching the hummingbirds.

And then, as we were about to head out, David said the magic words… anyone want a beer?

 

Secret Beaches

Okay, so not all of them were secret (the one that took a winding jungle trail to get to certainly was), but like I said–I don’t want to give away IGT’s whole itinerary.

Our first stop was a secluded beach, that I’m sure no regular tourist has ever seen. We wandered through a grove of trees, out to a wild and wind swept sand beach, with nothing but thick forest and sea.

Another beach featured old fishing boats piled along the shore, with small buildings further down, and palms trees high above. This one had to be my favourite, in terms of photos and views.

The last beach was a public area, where I explored a boat with a traditional Tobagonian fishing pole hanging off the side, which was a long piece of bamboo. Each beach offered something different, and each would have been nice to spend a whole day at.

 

Charlotteville & Pirate’s Bay

We made a quick stop in Charlotteville, before kicking it into high gear up the mountainside above it. As we bounced and swayed up a one way dirt path on the edge of a cliff, I almost started to second-guess my safety when David said, “don’t worry, I only fell over four times”. But in all seriousness, these are the types of adventures to live for, and obviously he wouldn’t be putting us into any situation that would actually go wrong.

Our adrenaline was surging as we reached the top, and we all jumped out of the vehicle to take in the view. To the left was the town of Charlotteville, and to the left were the churning waters of Pirate’s Bay. This was definitely one of the most rewarding views on the Island.

 

Jemma’s Treehouse Restaurant

Jemma’s is one of my favourite spots in Tobago, and I was so excited when I heard that we’d be stopping there for lunch–and to see Wade walk in for the first time. He almost didn’t believe David when he said that we’d be dining in a tree.

We arrived and climbed the stairs up into the treehouse, and took a large table in the middle. David ordered us a family style platter and apps that spread across the table, and we all scooped portions of our choices onto our own plates (again, this was pre-covid). There was chicken, rice, plantains, vegetables, beans, and fresh juice with fruit.

I don’t know what’s better about Jemma’s.. the fact that it’s literally a treehouse above the ground, with windows looking out at Little Tobago Island, or the food itself. I’ll just say both.

 

Little Tobago Lookout

After leaving Jemma’s, we headed up the mountainside above Speyside to a parking area that overlooked the whole Bay, including Goat Island and Little Tobago Island.

It was the perfect spot to digest a little and get some photos of the panoramic views.

 

Greenhill Waterfall Gardens

Think Secret Garden meets Jungle Waterfall, in the middle of Tobago.

I had never even heard of this place, and it almost popped up out of nowhere when we were driving. Quite honestly, I wouldn’t even know how to get back to it on my own right now, so it’s a good thing IGT planned our itinerary.

A few people hiked down to the lower falls, while I found a little outcrop to sit and take in the views and sounds of the upper pool. I watched as fish swam around below my feet, and relaxed in the shade of the trees above.

Afterward, we started out journey back across to the other side of the Island, to head home.

At the end of the day–we visited dozens of amazing locations, enjoyed an delicious lunch, and experienced so much of what Tobago had to offer–but I think the thing that really made the tour for us was our awesome host, David.

This time in Tobago was our favourite trip there so far, and I’m pretty sure that was mostly thanks to Island Girl Tours.

 

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@seattledredgeLike this video if you’re in a crowded city right now and need a rainforest escape ???

@seattledredgeIsland gems tour with “Island Girl Tours” in Tobago ?????

If you’re a fellow Canadian, Island Girl Tours offers bookings through e-transfers
+ David will be happy to chat about his time in the Great White North.