The Tobago Cays

The Tobago Cays, a cluster of five tiny uninhabited islands cradled by a horseshoe reef in the southern Grenadines, are one of the most breathtakingly beautiful spots in the Caribbean and the jewel of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Protected as a marine park, this vision of paradise, of powder-white sandy cays, swaying palms and shallow water in every dazzling shade of turquoise, is a mecca for sailors, snorkellers and day-trippers. Sheltered behind the reef from the open Atlantic, its clear waters teem with coral and fish and are famous for swimming with green sea turtles, making the cays a magical, castaway-perfect marine wonderland.

History

The cays were privately owned from at least the 16th century until 12 April 1999, when the state bought the five islands. A conservation area banning spear fishing was set up in 1987, and the cays were declared a marine park in December 1997 under the Marine Parks Act of 25 November 1997 (Wikipedia, Tobago Cays).

Highlights

• The uninhabited cays - the tiny white-sand islands and palms.
• Swimming with turtles - the green turtles in the shallows.
• The horseshoe reef - the snorkelling on the sheltering reef.
• The turquoise anchorage - the finest sailing anchorage in the Grenadines.

When to go

December to May, the dry season, for the best weather, calmest seas and clearest water; the cays are reached by boat, most easily on a day trip or by sailing yacht from Union Island, Bequia or nearby islands, and are a highlight of any Grenadines sailing trip. Conditions are best on calm, sunny days for snorkelling and turtle-watching.

What to expect

The cays are uninhabited and reached only by boat, so a visit means a day trip or arriving by yacht, with no facilities beyond the beach and passing vendors, and they can get busy with boats and day-trippers in high season; the marine park charges a fee. For the sheer, dazzling beauty of these desert islands, their turquoise water, snorkelling and swimming with turtles, though, among the most beautiful spots in the whole Caribbean, the Tobago Cays are unforgettable and magical.

Nearby

Union Island, Bequia and the other Grenadine islands are within reach by boat.

Key facts