Pigeon Point Heritage Park

Pigeon Point is the beach on the postcards: a spit of white sand and coconut palms on Tobago's southwestern corner with a thatched jetty running out over turquoise shallow water, the single most photographed structure on the island. It was a coconut estate and is now a managed park with an entrance fee, changing rooms, bars and watersports. Boats leave from here for the Buccoo Reef and the Nylon Pool.

What you actually see

• The thatched jetty - the roofed pier over the shallows, Tobago's standard image.
• The white sand - a spit of pale sand under coconut palms.
• The shallow water - calm turquoise shallows sheltered by the reef.
• The reef boats - departures for Buccoo Reef and the Nylon Pool.

When to go

January to May is the dry season. Cruise ship days and weekends are busiest. Mornings are calmest for the water.

Honest expectations

There is an entrance fee for what many feel should be a public beach, which is a long-running local grievance. It is the most crowded beach on the island. Facilities are good but everything costs extra.

Nearby

Store Bay is south, and Buccoo Reef is offshore.