Tobago

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Introduction

Tobago is the smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located in the southern Caribbean Sea, northeast of the island of Trinidad and southeast of Grenada.

Geography

Cities

• Scarborough

Sights and Activities

Events and Festivals

Weather

The climate is tropical. There are two seasons annually: the dry season for the first six months of the year, and the wet season in the second half of the year. Winds are predominantly from the northeast and are dominated by the northeast trade winds. Unlike most of the other Caribbean islands, Tobago's southern location means they are generally not within the hurricane zone, and rarely suffer from hurricane damage.

Getting There

By Plane

There are flights from Europe and South America that arrive directly at the Tobago International Airport (airport code TAB) in Crown Point. Also there are flights to and from Tobago from a number of other Caribbean Islands. There are numerous flights a day from Port of Spain's Piarco International Airport in Port of Spain to Tobago as well.

By Train

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Ferries run between the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, between Port of Spain, Trinidad and Scarborough, Tobago. Cost of the ferry is TT$ 50 one-way for the fast ferry and TT$37.50 for the conventional ferry. Fast ferry sailing time is under 2 hours. The conventional ferry takes 5 1/2 hours.

Schedules change frequently, and can be found at the Port of Port-of-Spain website.

Getting Around

A road map, with enlargements of the larger towns, can be found at Skyviews.

By Rental Car

Car rental on Tobago is easy to arrange and there’s plenty of choice of vehicles. Prices vary, but expect to pay between $TT 300 - 600 per day. Four wheel drive jeeps are popular with tourists and do cost more than cars. Local companies are generally reliable. You may pay less and the hub caps probably won’t match but most companies have a 24 hour assistance service and offer good local driving advice. Traffic drives on the left and you national driver's licence or international driving permit is needed. Roads are in decent shape.

The first letter of the registration number of the vehicle indicates the vehicle’s licensing class:

• P – Private/Non-commercial vehicle
• H – Taxi
• R – Rental Vehicle
• T – Commercial Vehicle/Truck

The practise of renting P-registered private vehicles to visitors has long been endemic in Tobago. Some visitors request "P" cars to not look like tourists, but be warned that the normal hire-and-reward insurance does not cover vehicles registered for private usage. Having a 'P' plate does not automatically mean that the vehicle is not insured for rental. Rental Agencies can get hire-and/or-reward insurance but doing so is the exception, rather than the rule.

By Taxi

Official taxis on Tobago aren’t marked in any obvious way, but their license plates start with an “H”, whereas private cars license plates start with a “P.” These “PH” cabs, as the locals call them, aren’t generally any cheaper than official cabs, and provide a danger in that their insurance coverage doesn’t cover carrying passengers (assuming they have insurance at all), and so in the event of an accident you as a passenger could find yourself not covered by health insurance.

By Bus

Regular buses run between Scarborough bus station and Crown Point, Buccoo, Plymouth and Roxborough. The service is cheap, but the buses are crowded. Buses theoretically run to a regular hourly timetable, however don't expect punctuality.

By Boat

Eat

Drink

Sleep