Tobago: coastal loop drive + Roxborough; things to do + restaurant review:

COASTAL LOOP DRIVE

Lush Tobago is encircled by one rollercoaster-like loop road that takes at least an entire day to do properly.

Highlights along this route include:

●silk cotton tree  

On Northside Rd., in Runnymeade Area.  This gigantic tree is 350-plus years old.  Silky cotton is made from the pods.

150-plus-year-old silk cotton tree in Runnymeade, Tobago

●Castara  

This fishing village on the Caribbean side has a surprising number of distinctive guesthouses snuggled into the steep-walled bay.

view of Castara in Tobago

●Parlatuvier Bay  

This fishing village with a pier and boats has a tranquil beach.

 

Pariatuvier Bay in Tobago

●Bloody Bay  

This secluded, breezy beach provides great swimming. 

 

     ●Sunshine Restaurant  

I enjoyed lunch here on a comfortable verandah overlooking dense forest.  Firm king fish, which is like halibut, or lobster curry are both good choices. 

 

menu at Sunshine Restaurant in Bloody Bay in Tobago

fish plate at Sunshine Restaurant in Bloody Bay in Tobago

cats outside Sunshine Restaurant in Bloody Bay in Tobago

●Speyside  

On the loop’s furthest tip, this area offers great diving and has boat trips to offshore islands. 

 
More info on this loop drive.

●Roxborough

Roxborough is the former capital of Tobago.

     ●Tobago Cocoa Estate  

By reservation.  Learn about cocoa-making in this heritage park.  Though it is the last cocoa estate in operation on the island, it has been open only since 2005.  Driving in, you’ll pass through a teak tree alee.  Take a walk through the estate and see a variety of fruiting trees as well as plenty of cocoa trees.  Eco-friendly cultivation practices and no pesticides are used here--crows eat the cocoa pods, so hawks are used to stop them.  A rum and chocolate tasting is included.  Mature “immortal trees” shade cocoa trees.

ginger bush at Tobago Cocoa Estate in Rosborough, Tobago

tour at Tobago Cocoa Estate in Rosborough, Tobago

tour at Tobago Cocoa Estate in Rosborough, Tobago

display at Tobago Cocoa Estate in Rosborough, Tobago

open cocoa pod at Tobago Cocoa Estate in Rosborough, Tobago

     ●Argyle Waterfall  

TT10; TT30 includes tour guide.  Nearby, this multi-level falls is reached by a short hike through quiet, sheltered forest filled with cacao trees, assorted flowering plants, and many kinds of birds.  Hiking boots makes sense, or other sensible footwear--forget the flip flops--because there are rocks, steps, and uneven surfaces.  The falls cascade down over two smaller pools and form a deep pool at the bottom.  A clear shallow pool higher up is also ideal for swimming but requires using a climbing rope to reach (although I hear the upper pools are home to tiny pinching shrimps), and on the third level, you can bathe under showers from the falls.

 

stairway on trail to Argyle Waterfall in Rosborough, Tobago

carved bamboo on trail to Argyle Waterfall in Rosborough, Tobago

carved bamboo souvenirs on trail to Argyle Waterfall in Rosborough, Tobago

women's restroom sign at trailhead to Argyle Waterfall in Rosborough, Tobago

More things to do in Trinidad.

More things to do in Tobago.

More ideas for exploring the Caribbean.

images ©2017 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Scarborough, Tobago: Magdalena Grand Beach Resort; hotel review

Magdalena Grand Beach Resort  

Lowlands, Scarborough, (866) 353-6222.  178 rooms + 22 suites.  3 pools; 2 saunas; fitness center; health spa.  4 restaurants; 3 bars.

Situated on a former sugar cane plantation along 2½ miles of beach, gorgeous Magdalena Grand Beach Resort has a guard gate and offers an array of facilities that includes a PGA-designed 18-hole golf course, two tennis courts with lights, a kids' club, a children’s playground, a dive center, complimentary bicycles, nature trails, and horseback riding, plus a complimentary shuttle to Pigeon Point Heritage Park and beach twice daily (note that the surf can be dangerous on property, and there is no lifeguard).

Guests are greeted with a welcome fruit punch or rum punch cocktail and a cold towel in the hotel’s open-air lobby that is cooled by island breezes.  Spacious guest rooms all offer ocean views Petitrou Bay and private balconies and feature tiled floors, comfy beds, and both air-conditioning and ceiling fans. Bathrooms have both a shower and a long raised tub, a granite vanity, and luxurious thick towels.  An all-inclusive meal-plan is a worthy option, and the main restaurant serves an inventive menu of regional favorites.  And because the hotel has its own water treatment plan, the water is safe to drink.

It is interesting to know that people who have strokes walk on the sand here because it has many minerals that are supposed to help the condition.  Also, Columbus called Tobago "La Magdalena" when he sighted the island on his third voyage to the New World in 1498 and then landed in the nearby Charlotteville area.  The hotel’s name gives a nod to this fact. 

exterior of Magdalena Grand Beach Resort in Scarborough, Tobago

lobby at Magdalena Grand Beach Resort in Scarborough, Tobago

guest room at Magdalena Grand Beach Resort in Scarborough, Tobago

bathroom at Magdalena Grand Beach Resort in Scarborough, Tobago

guest room balcony at Magdalena Grand Beach Resort in Scarborough, Tobago

view from guest room balcony at Magdalena Grand Beach Resort
in Scarborough, Tobago

dessert at Magdalena Grand Beach Resort in Scarborough, Tobago

More things to do in Trinidad.

More things to do in Tobago.

More ideas for exploring the Caribbean.

  
images ©2017 Carole Terwilliger Meyers 

Tobago: Visit Scarborough; things to do + restaurant review

Visit SCARBOROUGH

Named after Scarborough in Yorkshire, England, this is the capital of Tobago--Trinidad's sister island--and is its second-largest city.  Expect traffic jams.  Ferry service arrives here from Port of Spain.

downtown Scarborough, Tobago

Fort King George  

Located up a steep back street, this 18th-century fortification named after King George III offers magnificent views.  It has a chapel, lighthouse cell block, and military cemetery, as well as the small Tobago Museum that displays historic and local archaeologic artifacts (including fossils), colonial relics, and military memorabilia.

 

entrance to Fort King George in Scarborough, Tobago

cannon plus ocean view from Fort King George in Scarborough, Tobago

lighthouse at Fort King George in Scarborough, Tobago

building at Fort King George in Scarborough, Tobago

Scarborough Botanical Gardens  

868 675 7034.  More like a big city park than a botanical garden, this hilly 17-acre landscaped gardens opened in 1899.  It features flowers, plants, and trees indigenous to Tobago as well as a collection of liliaceous plants from Africa.  You’ll see avenues of royal palms and silk cotton trees as well as a beautiful Indian almond tree.  Benches permit staying a while and doing some bird watching.  Bring a picnic.

entrance gate to Scarborough Botanical Gardens in Scarborough, Tobago

rows of royal palms at Scarborough Botanical Gardens in Scarborough, Tobago

Indian almond tree at Scarborough Botanical Gardens in Scarborough, Tobago

Scarborough Market  

On Carrington Street.  This untouristy market caters to locals, dispensing fresh fish and vegetables as well as household goods.  It is busiest on Saturdays.

produce at Scarborough Market in Scarborough, Tobago

kitchenware at Scarborough Market in Scarborough, Tobago

cafe menu at Scarborough Market in Scarborough, Tobago

Blue Crab Restaurant  

Robinson St. # 5, Scarborough, (868) 639-2737.  L Tu-F, D by reservation.  Afternoon tea.  

Tasty items you might encounter at this well-established restaurant--it’s been here 30 years--include Fried Flying Fish in a mild curry, Coal Pot Chicken, chicken grilled over coconut husks, grilled King Fish in Creole sauce, and fried plantains.  Husband Kenneth mans the kitchen while wife Alison, a frustrated clothing designer, plays the front of the house, kissing and hugging everyone so they feel super welcome. 
          This restaurant also operates Sandy’s Bed and Breakfast on premises.

 

tour guide Monica pitches in serving drinks at Blue Crab Restaurant
in Scarborough, Tobago

buffet lunch at Blue Crab Restaurant in Scarborough, Tobago

Alison emraces customer at Blue Crab Restaurant in Scarborough, Tobago

KFC  

is located beach front, in a central location.  At this branch of the popular chain, locals have nick-named it “Keep From Cooking” and “Keep Fat Coming.”

More things to do in Trinidad.

More things to do in Tobago.

More ideas for exploring the Caribbean.

  
images ©2017 Carole Terwilliger Meyers 

Introduction to Trinidad & Tobago + Faces of Trinidad & Tobago photo gallery

AN INTRODUCTION to TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

Port of Spain cityscape in Trinidad

Located in the southeastern region of the Caribbean just 7 miles off the Venezuelan coast, Trinidad was in fact once part of South America until it broke off in an earthquake broke it off.  They are the last island in the Caribbean chain. 

Britain gained control of the islands in 1797 and brought in thousands of African slaves to work on sugar, cotton, and indigo plantations.  Today, descendants of those slaves make up most of Tobago's population.  When Britain abolished slavery in 1830, landowners brought in indentured workers from India, China, and the Middle East.  Their descendants give the islands a multi-ethnic appeal.  According to a guide, “We are mixing it up,” and he said that Trinis celebrate their religions together and are inclusive rather than divisive. 

Because the islands existed separately for centuries, they each have a distinct personality.  Britain joined them together in the late 19th century, and the two islands gained independence in 1962 and became a republic in 1976.

The official language is English, and half of the annual visitors are from the U.S.  People come here for the culture.  Driving is on the left--except when it isn’t--so defensive driving is essential on both islands.  “We drive like how we dance--dangerously,” an islander told me.  There are no all-inclusive resorts. 

TRINIDAD

Known as the “cultural capital of the Caribbean,” bustling Trinidad measures 65 miles long by 50 miles wide.  It is the birthplace of the limbo, the calypso, and singer Harry Belafonte--as well as of the steel pan drum, the only acoustic instrument invented in the 20th century.  It was ranked the happiest nation in the Caribbean by the United Nations’ World Happiness Report in 2013 and 2015.  And though the island is lively and developed, the tourism infrastructure is not well-developed.  You will find only one souvenir store downtown and no crafts market.  U.S. service men stationed here during WW II--there were more than 200,000 of them--cut some of the roads that provide access to a mountain range and secluded beaches along the north coast.

TOBAGO

Tiny Tobago is only 30 miles long by10 miles wide and mostly undeveloped.  Crown Point is the tourist hub, although Scarborough is the main town and where the cruise ships arrive.  This lush island features hidden beaches, great diving, and quaint villages.  It is home to the largest brain coral in the Western Hemisphere, and its Main Ridge Rainforest is the oldest protected reserve in the Western hemisphere.

PHOTO GALLERY:  FACES OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Ricardo, a guide with Island Experiences in Trinidad

owners of Coloz restaurant in Port of Spain, Trinidad

server at HAKKA restaurant in Port of Spain, Trinidad

pan player and song writer Kwesi Paul at Dan-Demonium pan yard
in Port of Spain, Trinidad

guide Monica helps serve drinks at Blue Crab Restaurant in Scarborough, Tobago

More things to do in Trinidad.

More things to do in Tobago.

More ideas for exploring the Caribbean.

 
images ©2017 Carole Terwilliger Meyers