Englishmans Bay
Best for. Slow travellers and nature lovers who want an almost undeveloped Caribbean beach with snorkelling, birdsong and forest, and do not need facilities or a crowd.
Best spot. A morning swim in the calm centre of the bay, then a snorkel along the rocky northern end, lunch at the one small beach kitchen, and the rest of the day to the birds.
Know this. This is a wild bay with no lifeguard, almost no development and a rougher day when the swell is up, so read the water, carry what you need and tread lightly.
Englishmans Bay is the beach that makes the long leeward drive worth it, and for many travellers it is the most beautiful sand in Tobago. Hidden below the Northside Road between the fishing villages of Castara and Parlatuvier, it is a perfect crescent of gold backed entirely by rainforest, with clear water in the middle and a tumble of dark rocks and reef at each end. There is no resort, no road along the sand and almost no building in sight, just the forest coming down to the beach and the sound of birds over the surf. For a naturalist this is the real Caribbean, the version that existed before the resorts.
The honest read is that the wildness is the whole point and also the catch. There is one small kitchen serving fresh fish and a cold drink, a handful of rented chairs and umbrellas, and otherwise nothing, so you bring your own water, sun cover and anything else you need for the day. There is no lifeguard, the access track is steep, and when an Atlantic swell wraps around the coast the calm bay can turn choppy and the rocky ends are no place to be. None of that should put off a careful traveller, but it does mean you read the water and plan rather than turning up expecting service.
Treat the bay gently and it gives back a rare kind of day. Swim in the soft centre while it is calm, snorkel slowly along the northern rocks where the reef fish gather, and let the afternoon drift with a book and the birdsong. Keep off the coral, take your litter back up the hill, and remember that places this unspoiled stay that way only because visitors care. Come on a calm dry season morning, claim a patch of shade at the tree line, and Englishmans Bay is as close to a perfect wild beach as the southern Caribbean still offers.
Clubs near this beach
Englishmans Bay is the anti club, a wild beach with one small kitchen and nothing more, so the only daybed and bar life sits back in the villages and the southwest.
Photo: David Chacon via GoogleEnglishmans Bay beach kitchen
Right on the beach there is essentially one small kitchen cooking fresh fish and pouring a cold drink, with a few rented chairs and umbrellas, and that is the entire club layer here. It is genuine and lovely and exactly enough, so bring cash, order what is cooking and treat the simplicity as the luxury.
No club on the sand
Beyond the one kitchen there is no bar, no daybed and no club on this beach, which is the reason to come. For an organised beach day or a proper sundowner you head back to Castara nearby or to the busy southwest, where our directory gathers the real venues. Here, the reward is solitude.
The leeward coast, by car
Englishmans Bay sits on the leeward Caribbean coast of Tobago, about a kilometre and a half past Castara toward Parlatuvier, reached along the winding, scenic Northside Road. There is no public transport to speak of, so most visitors drive or take a taxi from the southwest, a journey of roughly an hour that is half the adventure, climbing and dropping through rainforest with sea views opening at every bend.
The beach is not visible from the road, so watch for the small sign and the parking area, then take the steep track down to the sand. Bring water, sun cover, snorkel gear and some cash for the kitchen and the chairs, and fill the tank before you set off, since services on this coast are sparse. Aim for a calm dry season morning for the gentlest water and the easiest drive.
Photo: Rainer Ebert via GoogleNot ready to book?
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Common questions about Englishmans Bay
Is Englishmans Bay the best beach in Tobago?
For wild, undeveloped beauty many people think so, and we rank it our favourite on the island. It is a forest backed crescent with clear water and good snorkelling at the rocky ends, and almost nothing built on it, which is exactly its appeal. It is not the beach for facilities, watersports or a lively scene, so if you want those, Pigeon Point or Store Bay suit better, but for nature and quiet it is hard to beat.
Can you snorkel at Englishmans Bay?
Yes, and it is one of the bay’s pleasures on a calm day. The rocky reef at each end of the beach holds reef fish and clear water, with the centre kept for an easy swim. Bring your own mask and fins, as only basic rental may be available, float gently over the coral without touching it, and stay clear of the rocks if any swell is running. Conditions change with the sea and are never guaranteed.
Are there facilities at Englishmans Bay?
Very few, and that is the point. Expect one small beach kitchen serving fresh fish and drinks, a few chairs and umbrellas for rent, and little else, with no lifeguard and limited shade beyond the tree line. Bring water, sun cover and some cash, carry your litter back out, and treat the lack of development as the reason to come rather than a drawback.
How do you get to Englishmans Bay?
By car or taxi along the Northside Road on the leeward coast, about a kilometre and a half past Castara and roughly an hour from the southwest hotels. The beach sits below the road and is reached by a steep short track from a small parking area, so watch for the sign. The drive is winding and scenic through rainforest, so allow time and travel in daylight.
Is Englishmans Bay safe for swimming?
On a calm day the central part of the bay is generally a pleasant swim, but there is no lifeguard and conditions vary, so you must judge the water yourself. Keep to the gentle centre, avoid the rocky ends and stay out when an Atlantic swell makes the bay choppy. Watch children closely, and treat any current with respect. We describe typical conditions and never promise a safe swim.
