Englishman's Bay

Englishman's Bay is a crescent of sand on Tobago's leeward coast with rainforest running down to the back of the beach and nothing built on it apart from a single restaurant and craft stall at one end. There is no village, no hotel and no development, which is unusual anywhere in the Caribbean, and the snorkelling off the rocks at either end is good. It is regularly named the most beautiful beach on the island.

Background

The two forested headlands that close off the crescent come down from Tobago's Main Ridge, and the sand starts right where the trees end. It slopes at a shallow to medium angle and is somewhat coarse, so the width of the beach barely changes between high and low tide. Waves break heavily on the shore. The bay sees fewer visitors than the beaches on the western side of the island, usually 20 or so people, and there is room in both sun and shade. As of 2018 the only facilities were Eula's, a small restaurant and gift shop, and a single-stall bathroom for men and women.

Source: Wikipedia, "Englishman's Bay"

Highlights

• The forest backdrop - rainforest running to the back of the sand with no development.
• The crescent - a curved bay enclosed by headlands at each end.
• The snorkelling - reef and rocks at both ends of the bay.
• The single beach bar - the one restaurant and craft stall at the eastern end.

When to go

January to May is driest and calmest. Weekdays are very quiet. The road down is steep and the parking is small.

Things to know

There are no lifeguards and currents can be strong. Facilities are limited to the one bar, which keeps its own hours. Sandflies bite at dawn and dusk.

Nearby

Castara is south, and Parlatuvier is north.

Key facts