Season Cascades
Between the tropical green covering this rocky coast, just before arriving to Belle Garden, is Richmond Great House, a restored lordly house dating from 1766, and that now is a famous guests house, where use to go New York intellectuals. Some 3 km. forward, just before Roxborough, the highway goes to the left, to the Argyll Waterfalls, that during the rainy season, flow along two channels by the hillside. Though during the rest of the year, these waterfalls are only a small stream, generally you’ll find here enough water to take a refreshing shower, after a 15 minutes walk needed to reach this place. Some 5 km. further, and after leaving Roxborough, the biggest city in the eastern region, where some free blacks, with miserable salaries, caused in 1876, what is called the Belmanna uprise, you’ll find King’s Bay Waterfall, the highest waterfall of the island with 30m height.

Almost 5 km from this place, at the fishermen port of Speyside, with houses extending along a precious blue bay, youngsters offer themselves as guides for excursions to the birds reserve of Little Tobago, an isle near the coast, also known as Paradise Bird island, because these birds lived here from 1909, when 48 of them were brought from New Guinea, till 1963, when the hurricane Flora destroyed all the colony. However, the spectacular reefs surrounding the isle are ideal for diving.

The Picturesque Northeast
The Windward Road leaves behind the coast from Speyside, and climbs a craggy and abrupt hill, where you’ll find an excellent lookout, from which you can see the rough northeast end of the island, where the Atlantic and Caribbean waters met. At the other side of the hill, the houses and cottages of Charloteville hold on as bird’s nest at the slope, over Man O’War Bay. The 600 inhabitants of this town live mostly of fishing and tourism. Going down 68 steps you’ll find the Pirate’s harbor, women place their clothes to dry on the rocks. Near the coast is a lively reef, and instead of pirate’s ships, are elegant yachts docked at the harbor.

The Oldest Natural Reserve of the World
The highway going from Charloteville along the north Caribbean coast, is frequently closed to traffic. In these case, it’s better to go back to Roxborough, and cross the island by the Forest Reserve of Tobago, a tropical jungle that has all the kinds of green you can imagine, and extends from Hillsborough and Charloteville along the Main Ridge. In April 8, 1776, the British declared this zone a natural reserve. From then on, it’s being conserved unaltered; besides, it is the oldest natural reserve in the world. In fact, the highways and different roads for excursionists only allow visitors to walk along a reduced part of it; in this exuberant jungle have their habitat black and yellow spinning birds, green parrots, and humming birds with dazzling colors. The yellow poui, and the trees with red, shining flowers, add even more color to the green and forested hills. Some times paths are abrupt and muddy, so is better going with an expert guide.

At Bloody Bay, the highway goes along 3 km of the northern coast, before reaching Englishman’s Bay, a magnificent beach with coconut trees, almost always deserted. Forward, at the craggy orchards lining next to the road, you can see men working with machete among the bananas, manioc plants, and dark green citric trees. A road forks at Runnemede, at 6 km south, to the impressive sights over King Peter’s Bay.

Following to the west, by a narrow road, you’ll find several coves before arriving to Arnos Vale, the best place in Tobago, to practice diving, and bird watching. Nearby is the Arnos Vale Waterwheel Park, where you’ll find a small museum, a shop, and a recently opened restaurant, around an ancient waterwheel, that used to provide energy to plantations.

Buccoo, a Reef in Danger
Black Rock marks the start of the tourist area extending at the southwest of Tobago. Next to the beautiful beaches, there are many luxurious hotels, among which out stands the Mount Irvine Bay, that has a magnificent golf field near to a beach with huge waves, that are adored by surfers around the world, The islanders in this zone rent rooms to tourists at their homes. Every Sunday night, tourists and locals go to Buccoo, a little town that, for some hours, is transformed in an outdoor disco, for a party that is called Sunday School.

At Pigeon Point, one of the most idyllic and photographed beaches in the Caribbean, you can see boats with crystal bottoms, transporting submarinists to the deteriorated coral gardens at the now protected Buccoo Reef. Small boats, offer tours, including barbecues and swimming at the blue, slightly deep waters of Nylon Pool. However, this is one of the places where is easy to verify how massive tourism, is also bringing some negative consequences for the conservation of the natural beauty of the little island of Tobago.