Snorkeling Beaches in Tobago
Tobago snorkeling beaches allow snorkelers to discover the colorful Caribbean underwater life. Whether you are an adventurous pro snorkeler or a beginner, seek easy shore access, or prefer boat trips, you will find the place that suits you best. Please read our guide to find out where to snorkel on this heavenly island, which was named one of the best snorkeling places in the Caribbean by USA Today!
Tobago’s Best Snorkeling Places That Worth Visit
The coastline of Tobago features beaches for everyone but especially for snorkel fanatics, thanks to the fringing reef system around the island. Almost all beaches offer some marine life, but let’s see what the best Tobago snorkeling beaches are.
Englishman’s Bay
Englishman’s Bay is one of the loveliest white sandy beaches with a gently sloping coral reef on the right. Various complex coral species and colorful soft corals can be seen here.
This picturesque beach is surrounded by tropical jungles, making you feel like you are in paradise. Search for moray eels and octopus between the corals and challenge yourself to spot stingrays on the sandy sea bottom.
Castara Bay
A crescent-shaped, isolated golden sand beach on the less visited side of the island. Castara Bay includes two smaller bays, the Big and the Little ones. The bigger one is where village life happens, and fishermen pull out their nets. Little Bay is the place where snorkelers should go to enjoy floating in calm, clear water. If you are lucky, you can spot manta rays here!
Pirate’s Bay
It is an isolated, remote location in the Man O’War Bay area. You might know it from the original Robinson Crusoe movie. It is accessible from land via a tricky dirt track and trail, which is more comfortable than taking a boat.
By visiting Pirate’s Bay, you can explore the rich fringing reef along the coast and observe coral structures and shoals of tropical fish. Many sea urchins and sponges live here, and turtles swim by often. For guided snorkeling in Pirate’s Bay, we recommend looking for ERIC! The Environmental Research Institute Charlotteville organizes this Eco Snorkel Tour.
More snorkeling destinations in the Caribbean:
– Puerto Morelos snorkeling
– Best Barbados snorkel spots
– Where to go snorkeling in Grenada
Kariwak Reef At Store Bay
Store Bay is one of Tobago’s most popular and busiest public beaches. It became famous for the Great Race speedboat competition. Boat traffic is high throughout the year, not only during this event. Therefore, be extremely careful while snorkeling here. Carry a high-visibility swim buoy for your safety! The Kariwak Reef is on the left side of the beach.
The shallow water and gently sloping reef make snorkeling in Store Bay easy, even for beginners. A wide variety of tropical fish like parrotfish, angelfish, and butterflyfish will entertain you here. Keep your eyes on the sandy bottom, where you might spot stingrays!
Arnos Vale
The very best of Tobago snorkeling beaches with pristine corals and abundant marine life. The whole area is filled with corals, and the reef starts close to the shore. You can see moray eels, squids, barracudas, and many tropical fish species. Expect to meet turtles in the water and sometimes on the beach, too, since Arnos Vale is a turtle nesting area.
An abandoned hotel -Arnos Vale Hotel- is on the site and closed a few years ago. It is a picturesque place, but due to its remote location, visiting Arnos Vale is recommended for safety reasons with organized tours or larger groups. Alternatively, you can arrive by boat as well.
Boat Tours On Tobago
As you can see, many Tobago snorkeling beaches are easily available from shore, but there are countless pristine reefs in the surrounding waters. If you are planning to take a boat snorkel trip, these are the best places to visit:
Buccoo Reef
The area is a protected marine park. The Bucco reef system is approximately 7 km2 and consists of two lagoons. The Reef Lagoon is famous for the big staghorn coral colonies, while the Bon Accord Lagoon features macroalgae, seagrass, red mangrove, brain corals, and elkhorn corals. Manta rays and different turtle species (Leatherback, Loggerhead, Hawksbill) often cruise around Bucco Reef.
Snorkeling trips are available from Store Bay. Unfortunately, due to the high number of visitors and polluting glass-bottom boats, the corals don’t look as vibrant as they did years ago, and the area is often busy.
Lover’s Bay
Lover’s Bay is a pretty little beach in the Man O’War Bay region. It is a gorgeous beach with multi-colored sand, offering easy snorkeling for beginner snorkelers and a wide variety of marine species. Colorful fish like angelfish, parrotfish, and butterflyfish live there, and turtles often swim in. The beach is also accessible with SUP.
Angel Reef – Goat Island
This shallow reef is a favorite of Tobago snorkeling beaches among snorkelers and divers. The corals are on the right side, and brightly colored tropical fish swim between them, including many French Angel Fish and Queen Angel Fish. Thanks to the cleaning stations, manta rays often visit the spot. Moreover, you have a chance to see nurse sharks as well. Boats depart from Blue Waters Inn.
Tobago Travel Basics
From colorful hard and soft coral species to various fish species to turtles and manta rays, Tobago has much to offer for ocean lovers. Thanks to its diverse landscape featuring rainforests and waterfalls, your Tobago holiday can perfectly mix water and land activities.
Where Is Tobago?
The smallest of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Tobago is Tobago. It is located in the southern Caribbean, northeast of Trinidad and southeast of Grenada. Many airlines offer flights to Tobago from all over the world. Also, several Caribbean cruises include these islands in their itinerary. Traveling between Trinidad and Tobago is also easy. You can take an island-hopper boat or ferry; between-islands flights are also available.
Tobago map to find the snorkeling spots:
Best Time To Visit
Lying close to the Equator, Tobago has a tropical climate with two seasons. The dry season runs from January to May, and the rainy season is from June to December, with 15+ monthly rainy days. Temperatures are similar all year round. The maximum is around 31-32 °C (88-90 °F), and the minimum is 20-22 °C (68-72 °F). Cooling northeast trade winds make the humid weather bearable even in the hottest months.
Although Tobago is officially out of the hurricane belt, there is a higher chance that tropical storms might affect it during the Caribbean hurricane season. Schedule your visit to explore Tobago’s snorkeling beaches for the dry season to experience bright sunshine and calm seas! If your holiday allows you to travel only between August and October when hurricane risk is the highest, consider other islands like Aruba in the Dutch Caribbean!
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