The Big Six Guesthouses in Tobago
Hammocks for al fresco lounging, a converted cocoa house, and a family run B&B by Aoife O’Riordain
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Your support makes all the difference.Best for honeymoons: Castara Retreats
There is touch of the treehouse to each of the 14 lodges that make up Castara Retreats, poking up through lush vegetation on a hillside outside the small village from which it takes its name. With views of a perfect mezzaluna of golden sand, the one- and two-bedroom, self-catering villas and apartments are simple yet stylish with louvred shutters and hammocks for al fresco lounging watching the hummingbirds dart around you. Castara Retreats has extended its wellness offering, and now has yoga classes and massages with mind-blowing views of the aquamarine waters of the Caribbean; or you can simply wander down to the village and mingle with the locals.
Castara Retreats, Castara (07841 645238; castararetreats.com). Doubles from £75, room only.
Best for families: Top O’Tobago
As the name suggests, Top O’Tobago occupies a spectacular setting perching on a ridge on a tranquil swathe of the southwestern corner of the island. From here guests can soak up the views of hills cloaked in verdant vegetation and the sparkling waters of the Caribbean beyond. The main villa is supplemented by three smaller cabanas, all surrounded by tropical gardens of mango, cashew and lime trees. Borrow a snorkel and explore the coral reefs off Arnos Bay a short walk away, or spend an afternoon hiking the Mot Mot Trail, one of Tobago’s acclaimed walking routes.
Top O’Tobago, Arnos Vale Road, Plymouth (001 868 697 0121; topotobago.com). Doubles from £80, B&B.
Best for couples: The Seahorse Inn
Grafton Beach is one of Tobago’s most alluring stretches of sand, gently lapped by the azure waters of the Caribbean. It’s also an important nesting spot for the endangered Leatherback sea turtles that visit the island’s shores. A short walk away at Black Rock is The Seahorse Inn, a small B&B with a restaurant that gazes over the beach. The inn has four bedrooms done in simple yet comfortable style, each with a view of Stonehaven Bay. The charming restaurant, one of the island’s hotspots, is the ideal place to watch the sunset.
The Seahorse Inn, Grafton Beach Road, Black Rock (001 868 639 0686; seahorseinntobago.com). Doubles from £68, B&B.
Best for wilderness: The Rainbow Nature Resort
There are just four guest rooms at this pretty converted cocoa house, surrounded by jacaranda. Quiet and tranquil, this is the place to get away from it all – the resort forms part of a 25-acre organic farm on the island’s east coast in the foothills of Main Ridge, the oldest protected rainforest in the Western Hemisphere. With two enchanting waterfalls within easy reach, the estate is crisscrossed by trails shaded by bamboo canopies and forests inhabited by over 62 bird species.
The Rainbow Nature Resort, Lure Estate, Goldsborough (001 868 660 4755; therainbownatureresort.com). Doubles from £66, room only.
Best for singles: Native Abode
Experience authentic Tobagonian hospitality at the family run Native Abode, a short drive from Crown Point on the southwestern tip. Stephanie Trotman puts her experience spent working in the island’s hospitality industry to good use at this three bedroom B&B. There are lots of local tips for guests and thoughtful touches like the fruit for breakfast plucked from the house’s tropical gardens. You can use free bicycles, and are well placed for trips to the lovely beaches of Store Bay, Pigeon Point Beach and Heritage Park.
Native Abode, 13 Fourth St, Gaskin Bay Rd, Bon Accord, Tobago (001 868 639 0162; nativeabode.com). Doubles from £95, B&B.
Best for culture: Richmond Great House
History buffs will enjoy a stay at Richmond Great House, one of only a few surviving historic plantation houses left on Tobago. Built in 1766, this grand, colonial-style home, set on a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, was once at the centre of a sugar cane plantation, later switching to grow cocoa and coconut in the late 19 century. There are 10 very traditionally decorated guest rooms and a pool in the garden, shaded by the same immortelle trees that once served as natural sun protection for the cocoa trees.
Richmond Great House, Glamorgan (001 415 298 7520; richmondgreathousetobago.net). Doubles from £100, B&B.
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