Sightseeing: Region 2 - Lower Caribbean
Our Tobago sightseeing guide shows every notable sightseeing location or feature on the island. Hold your mouse over any location spot to identify it, and click for detailed information.
Adventure Farm & Nature Reserve *A 12-acre nature reserve and organic farm located on the Arnos Vale Road on the outskirts of Plymouth. The reserve is noted for its birds, butterflies, iguanas, mangoes and citrus orchards. The reserve is open Monday to Friday, from 7am to 5:45pm. Admission is US$4 and guided tours US$2. Further Information: www.adventure-ecovillas.com |
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Arnos Vale *****Arnos Vale is a former sugar plantation. The beautiful tropical grounds of the Arnos Vale Hotel are rich with birdlife. Visit for tea at 4pm and watch the wild birds being fed by hand. The tea may be mediocre, but you will never forget the sight of dozens of hummingbirds and other species feeding only a metre or two away. A definite 'must'. |
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Arnos Vale Waterwheel ***Just a short distance further north of the hotel is the Arnos Vale Waterwheel. This was a sugar factory in times gone by, but now a restaurant and museum. The waterwheel is still intact, and dates back to 1857, but little is left of the genuine factory that the waterwheel once powered. Facilities include a restaurant, museum, gift shop and a small theatre. There are a number of nature trails, an Amerindian site and an old slave village. The park is open daily from 8am until 11pm and admission is TT$10. |
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BuccooBuccoo is a small fishing village. The beachfront is the heart of the village and here you can watch the fishermen land and prepare their catch at the fishing cooperative, next to the beach. The only business of interest to visitors is a nice little boutique next to Sunday School that sells an interesting range of batik and craft souvenirs. There are a few small eateries in the village but the only one decent restaurant - the excellent La Tartaruga Italian restaurant which is open for dinner three evenings per week (not Sunday). Buccoo Reef ***You can catch glass-bottom boat trips to famous Buccoo Reef and the Nylon Pool from Buccoo village. Please see the entry in the Region 1 listings for full details. Goat & Crab Races ****A great event, but only held over the Easter weekend. Sunday School *****Nothing religious here – Sunday School is a loud, vibrant street party. It is an ideal way of sampling one aspect of Tobagonian social life. The party starts at 8pm every Sunday evening when the Buccooneers Steel Band orchestra play pan for a couple of hours. However, the party only gets into gear about 11pm when the main sound system kicks in from the main venue, directly opposite the main beach. The music is Jamaican Dancehall with the best soca, hip hop and R+B. Sunday School is a great place for people-watching. It is best to go by taxi and to arrange for the driver to pick you up at a specified time. Do NOT take more than the few dollars (beer and rum are cheap and there's only a few barbecue and snack stalls) and leave all jewellery, expensive watches and cameras at your hotel. Like any crowded situation, the event can be a magnet for pickpockets. Sunday School is also a major 'pick-up' event, so don't be surprised if local gigolos make approaches to the ladies, even when accompanied by their partner. |
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Fort Bennett *A beautiful lookout point giving brilliant views over both Stonehaven Bay and Great Courland Bay. The fort was built by the British in 1778, to protect the coast from American privateers. The ruins are well preserved. |
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Grafton Caledonia Bird Sanctuary ***This former cocoa estate evolved into a bird sanctuary after the owner started feeding the wild birds whose forest habitat had been destroyed by Hurricane Flora in 1963. Located near Black Rock village, the sanctuary has nature trails and scenic hiking and the wild birds are fed at the Copra House around 4pm. Trails have been cleared into the bush for nature hikers. There is no admission charge and you are welcome to wander to your heart's content, but to make the most of the sanctuary, go there with a bird watching guide, such as Newton George. You will be totally astonished by the difference it makes. |
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Kimme Museum ***Professor Luise Kimme is a German sculptor who has lived near the village of Bethel since 1979. Her unique 3-metre-high Caribbean sculptures of dancers and folklore characters, carved out of solid oak and cedar wood, are fascinating and her studio worth a visit. The studio and workshop is only open from 9am to 2pm on Sundays, although visits at other times can be arranged. Further information: www.luisekimme.com |
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Plymouth *One of Tobago's larger settlements, Plymouth has very limited attraction for visitors. Their is one small supermarket, but visitors will be astonished at how limited the supplies are. The Turtle Beach hotel is about three miles away and the nearest hotel. There is only one small guesthouse/restaurant in the village, the Cocrico Inn and one or two small local bars that sometimes do light snacks. Courland MonumentPlymouth's only real feature is the Courland Monument. This striking sculpture commemorates the 17th-century settlers from Courland (now part of Latvia) who settled there. Descendents of these early settlers still retain links with the island through regular meetings. Fort JamesThe ruins of Fort James stand on the headland behind the village. The barracks and cannons still stand, overlooking Great Courland Bay. Mystery TombstoneThe village is also noted for the Mystery Tombstone on the grave of Betty Stivens and her baby which has puzzled people for generations. The ambiguous inscription states "She was a mother without knowing it, and a wife without letting her husband know it, except by her kind indulgences to him." |
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