Trip to Tobago’s Canoe Bay

Last July, when my best friend told me she was coming back home to Trinidad for a few weeks, after not seeing her for months (as she’s studying in Canada), the first thought that entered my mind was “Bago Trip!”

We’ve called it our tradition since we were 15 years old: our annual trips to Tobago. As we are not the type to do the usual Store Bay and Pigeon Point trips, we always set out to look for lesser known beaches where we can just lay out in the sun, read and relax without all the excessive noise and crowds. The front desk clerk at our Crown Point hotel suggested we check out Canoe Bay, which was great because we’d never been and it wasn’t too far from where we stayed.

After leaving Crown Point, we turned onto the four-lane Claude Noel Highway. On the right, a turn-off leads to the quiet Canoe Bay (and the nearby site of Tobago’s Cove industrial estate). It is quite a hidden beach. The first thing we noticed was the long dirt track off Milford Road leading up to the beach, all the while thinking, “where are we really going?” Soon though, our fear was totally eradicated by the beautiful, lush greenery around us.

Approaching the beach, you’ll notice a small, yellow, thatched hut. It was there a man emerged and informed us that we had to pay a small fee to enter. (The beach has a small charge to cover the cost of facilities provided).

We asked him why the beach was named Canoe Bay, to which he said it was christened by English mariners and was probably named after the many Amerindian canoes that were seen there. The predominance of artifacts in the area denotes the existence of a large settlement of Amerindians there many years ago.

As we walked towards the shore, we realised that were only a handful of persons scattered along the beach. The main stretch of sand isn’t very long, which doesn’t matter as there is enough grass to lay on right before the shoreline. But the water is so calm that I walked a good distance into it with my camera in hand. There’s a small bar, cabanas and restroom facilities.

Although the beach lies on the windward, Atlantic side of the island adjacent to the Magdalena Grand and Tobago Plantations developments, the sea is calm here and one can even catch a glimpse of airplanes landing in the distance at the ANR Robinson airport.

Canoe Bay is beautiful; the first thing that caught my eye was the calmness of the water – the perfect beach for quiet and relaxation. The waters  are ideal for safe bathing, especially for families visiting with small children. I highly recommend that the next time you visit Tobago, check out this relaxing beach – we plan to do this again every year.

Quick Facts:

•  Opening hours: Monday–Sunday 9am–5pm

•  Admission: adults (13 & over) TT$15; children 6yrs–12yrs old TT$6; children under five are free

Gallery

For more photos of Canoe Bay, see our gallery (all photos copyright Marissa Rodriguez).

mrodriguez (3 Posts)