Welcome to my post about Castara, Tobago. We have now spent a total of almost a year in this village on this beautiful island. I want to share with you why we love it!
In this article
Why Castara?
We first came here on a Workaway project in December 2017 and stayed for several months. We returned in November last year and are still here, confined by the current global situation! I’m not complaining, though – there are far worse places to be stuck!
Castara is a picturesque fishing village on the Caribbean side of Tobago which has, in recent years, developed into the busiest ‘resort’ on this coastline. Don’t let that put you off, though. Castara has none of the international restaurants, package hotels and touristy places that you’ll find in Crown Point, Tobago’s main visitor destination. Instead, it retains a local feel, with stunning beaches and a laid-back vibe.
Castara’s growing popularity and increase in visitor numbers is unlikely to change the essence of the place. The village is divided by a rocky outcrop into two bays, unimaginatively named Big Bay and Little Bay! Both are surrounded by steep cliffs which have been developed as much as the terrain allows. There’s no possibility for high-rise buildings and fancy resorts to suddenly appear.
The People of Castara
Still essentially a village, Castara is small enough to get to know very quickly. Everyone is very friendly. Locals, ex-pats, and tourists socialise together. The very nature of the place means that many visitors return year after year, believing that they have found their ‘home away from home’. Locals become their family. Everyone knows everyone else. They care about each other. On occasion, this can be a little claustrophobic, but this feeling soon disappears after a trip out to sea or a drive to the other side of the island.
Castara will remain a fishing village at heart. Many locals still earn their living from fishing, as generations of their families have done before. Perhaps the difference now is that, in the tourist season, visitors ‘help’ to pull in the seine nets whilst many others photograph the event and, sometimes, the fishermen’s income is augmented by selling their catch to tourists as well as to locals.
There are a couple of big families in Castara who have lived in the place for generations and who now run many of the businesses in the village. Luckily for us, our Workaway hosts were part of one of these families – the Taylors. Through them, we got to know everyone and were treated as part of the family. Daddy Ben and Mrs Taylor, the patriarch and matriarch of the family, are still very much involved in village life and run the traditional clay bread oven. Every Thursday and Saturday they make and bake delicious wholemeal and pumpkin loaves, as well as tasty fruit buns which, when toasted, are very reminiscent of the teacakes I grew up eating in Yorkshire!
READ MY GUIDE TO THE BEST FOOD TO EAT IN TOBAGO
Big Bay, Castara
Big Bay, Castara is where you’ll find the village’s only supermarket, as well as a number of bars and restaurants. It is also the location of Daddy Ben’s bread oven, as well as some stalls selling tourist souvenirs. The white sandy beach is stunning and the sea is watched over by local lifeguards. Many fishermen anchor their boats in Big Bay and it is where they haul in their seine nets.
On Thursday nights, CasCreole in Big Bay is the place to be for a beach bonfire and dinner.
Little Bay, Castara
Little Bay, on the other hand, as the name suggests, is smaller and more secluded. It is accessed by a very steep and winding road which unnerves many first-time visitors. One or two local fishermen bring their catch into Little Bay. As they clean and gut their fish, locals and tourists alike crowd round to see what’s good and to choose their supper. The fish entrails are thrown back in the sea, attracting shoals of stingrays begging to be photographed!
There is only one bar and restaurant in Little Bay, The Boathouse, which sits directly on the beach. There are several guesthouses tucked away up the steep hillside. Invariably, these offer self-catering apartment accommodation with stunning views over the bay.
The vibe here is even more relaxed than in Big Bay. It is a quiet, laid-back place perfect for chilling out, except on a Wednesday evening when the thrilling beat of African drums keeps everyone awake until the wee small hours!
Music in Castara
Music is ever-present in Castara. One of the highlights of our time here was one afternoon when a guy turned up at the bar to ask if we needed a steel pan player. Sharon and Brenton, our hosts, asked him to play something, by way of an audition. He was good and Brenton was moved to join him on the box bass for an impromptu jamming session. This video showing what happened next, sums up why we love Castara.
Where to Stay in Castara
Castara has one upmarket hotel and several small guesthouses offering comfortable self-catering accommodation with magnificent views of the bay. Check out your options on Booking.com.
Responsible Tourism in Castara
The fact that Castara’s business owners cooperate closely (many of them are related, after all!) has led to a joint approach to tourism and the formation of the Castara Tourism Development Association (CTDA).
Environmental concerns are high on the association’s list of priorities. The sea in Castara, particularly in Little Bay, is superb for snorkelling and local businesses want to preserve this. Whilst we were staying in the village the first time, the CDTA successfully applied for a UN grant to promote environmental awareness by reducing the use of plastics and toxic detergents. The association has engaged with the wider local community and with tourists to ensure that everyone understands the problems and is doing their bit to tackle them. A green tourist tax has also been proposed. This would be in the form of a sum added to accommodation prices. Every visitor I spoke to about this said they would be more than happy to pay it.
The Boathouse has already stopped using plastic straws and the staff are all eager to explain the reasons why to any customer who asks. The image of a turtle with a plastic straw stuck in its head is enough for most of us never to use a straw again! A local lady is developing a range of natural soaps and detergents to supply to local businesses and individuals. All of these measures, and more, make me very optimistic about Castara’s future.
Castara Sunsets
Castara is, in my humble opinion, the best place in Tobago to watch the sun go down! Grab yourself a rum punch and a seat on the deck of the Boathouse Restaurant, Little Bay, and relax as the sun sets on another day in paradise!
READ MY COMPLETE TOBAGO TRAVEL GUIDE
Read more about Tobago and its birdlife
Try my Tobago colouring books and cookbook!
If you like what you’ve read, PIN IT!!
If you’re travelling soon, please use these links!
Are you travelling soon? Use these links when making your bookings. These are the companies we use. It won’t cost you any extra, but we will earn a few pennies to help keep Happy Days Travel Blog going. Thank you!!
- Book your travel insurance with World Nomads (Never leave home without protecting yourself, your trip and your belongings!)
- Book your flight with Skyscanner
- Book your accommodation with Booking.com
- Book a tour with Tour Radar or Intrepid Travel
- Book city tours and activities with Get Your Guide
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through for more information, or to make a purchase, it may result in a small commission coming my way. Please note that there is no extra cost to you associated with this. Thank you so much for supporting my site.
Join our mailing list
Sign up to receive our monthly newsletter. Keep up with what we're doing and be the first to receive special offers and insider tips.
This is such a positive post! It gives me such great hope for sustainable and responsible tourism. You’ve captured some beautiful moments and people. Little Bay sounds like such a wonderful escape from a big city, or even small town! I also do love seafood, so it sounds like an absolute treat 🙂
Thanks for taking the time to comment! You would love Little Bay!! I am always heartened to hear stories of environmental awareness when I travel and try to spread the word about them whenever I can. 🙂
Little Bay sounds magical. The best places are often the ones that require a bit of mental steel to get there. Love the fact, by way of your post “CDTA successfully applied for a UN grant to promote environmental awareness through reducing the use of plastics and toxic detergents” that the area is working on a sustainable tourism platform.
Hi Michael, Thank you for taking the time to comment. Little Bay really is an amazing place, even if I sometimes found myself staying put rather than tackling the steep hill to venture to Big Bay!! I love reporting on examples of sustainable tourism wherever I find them.
I’m really pleased to read that small Islands are making changes to preserve the waters… now to get the bigger countries on board!!
Absolutely, Leah! We could learn a lot from some so-called developing countries when it comes to environmental issues. When we were travelling in The Gambia, Africa’s smallest and poorest country, we were astonished to learn that they were the first nation to ban single-use plastic bags. Instead, enterprising individuals made bags from newspaper and fabric and sold them for a few cents each.
What a charming little place! And I am really impressed how environmental awareness figures on the top of their list. Definitely something to learn from and put into practice.
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Soumya. We were so pleased to see how local children are being taught about environmental issues. It gives me hope for the future.
Such an inspirational post. I love the fact that the authorities are making an effort for a more sustainable future. If everyone works hand in hand, protecting the environment sure gets a lot easier.
That’s so true, Zoya! Every small measure helps towards the greater good!
Tobago looks beautiful. I really appreciate that the local businesses cooperate with each other rather than compete, it sounds like they have found a way to deal with the tourism efficiently for everyone
It really is a beautiful place populated by beautiful, laid-back people. The co-operation we witnessed was so refreshing to see.
This is a delightful village and I love it! Somewhere to definitely visit on my first trip to Tobago. I love the fact that they’re aware of environmental pollution with the increase of their tourism, and are working hard to alleviate it. On my list!
I hope you get there, Kemi! It was a life-changing place for us. It really made us think about how we travel and the impact we have on the places we visit.
i had not considered workaway in the Caribbean. You’v got me thinking well and truly now! We love the Carribean but have never been able to afford to go to Tobago. Thank you so much for the inspiration.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I really hope you get there – you will have an amazing time! Let me know if you need any more information on Workaway projects in Tobago.
Looks like a nice spot! It isn’t that touristy, and keeps a bit of it own charm. Exactly kind of place I want to get to with my camera.
I hope you get there, Alexander. The photo opportunities there are endless. In fact, our stay on Tobago inspired me to upgrade my camera equipment, so that when we go back, I’ll be able to take better photos!
Lucky, lucky you! You live in Paradise. The businesses have a great understanding of each other- wish it was more like that in other places. I love that they are working hard to protect the environment.
Thanks, Sherrie – it was certainly a treat to wake up in such a beautiful place every morning!
Little bay sounds so nice and a great getaway from your typical Caribbean tourist traps. The fish must be so great and fresh judging from the picture. Looks like you can really get a feel of the culture here, my kind of trip.
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Alison. I love spending months in a place to really get to know the culture and how life works for local people. Pity life is too short to be able to do this in every place I want to visit!! 🙂
Trinidad and Tobago have been on my bucket list for about 30 years now, and as a matter of fact there is no real reason why I never really made it there. Your post brings back all these wonderful, fun vibes from the Caribbean – it won’t be another 30 years, that’s for sure.
I really hope you get there – I can’t recommend it highly enough!!
Well I admit I had never heard of this place until now. Castara looks and sounds lovely to me. A place you go to relax and do nothing. I loved the sunset by the way. It’s super pretty. Also the music session video was quite interesting.
wow this place looks so happening.. I haven’t heard of this place ever before but now it seems to be a must visit place..
I love that it will always be a fishing village but also that big chain resorts aren’t taking over!! looks liek a beautiful home!
Wow it looks like you are living in absolute paradise! What do you do there for a living? Also on your first workaway project, what was it? I’d love to live in Castara.
Hi Alexandra – there are two (soon to be three) Workaway projects here in Castara – you’ll easily find them if you check out the site. They all involve helping to clean and maintain customer accommodation. We came back to the same project as before. Now that the island is on lockdown, we have very few visitors still here so there’s not enough work to keep us going, but we are staying with friends and living expenses are pretty low. When we are not doing Workaway, the money I make from this site keeps us travelling 🙂