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Holidays and events on Tobago

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Holidays and Events on Tobago

In addition to state and church holidays, the inhabitants of Tobago also know how to celebrate extensively at various events. Thus tradition and the celebration of the own history have a firm part in the culture. Probably the biggest event is the annual goat race in Buccoo during the Easter season. This event takes place in the midst of numerous food and drink stands run by the inhabitants of the surrounding villages. If the occupying forces cultivated horse racing as an expression of their prosperity, it was again the slaves and their descendants who established goat racing as an alternative to “the little man”. Today this event attracts thousands of spectators and tourists from all over the Caribbean.

Tobago thus has a large number of events that never cause boredom on the island. A power boat race, an international bicycle race, a sailing regatta and a gastronomy festival round off the calendar.

In our calendar of events we have summarized the most important events of the Island.

Country & People

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Tobago – Country & People

The island of Tobago is the perfect destination for all those who want to spend a journey as individual and off the beaten tourist track as possible. In addition to a wide range of sporting activities, there are many places of interest that invite you to explore the island.
Tobago lies on the border between the Caribbean and the Atlantic and belongs to the West Indian Islands. It is one of the few islands created by separation from the mainland and without volcanic origin.

The general conditions ensure a particularly varied and interesting climate (learn more about the landscape and the climate – including tips on travel times).

The strategically interesting location has given Tobago an eventful and turbulent past. If Trinidad and Tobago is one of the most politically stable countries in the world today, it is worth taking a look at its exciting history.

Culture – from food to music and dance – is influenced by this complex history. Learn more about the wonderful way to enjoy life.
The people on Tobago enjoy – especially in comparison to other Caribbean countries – a quite high standard of living. This allows tourists a relaxed stay without desires. In order to enjoy this feeling to the full, we have put together some safety tips and some rules of conduct.

Food & drink

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Essen & Trinken auf Tobago

Food & drink on Tobago

As in the entire Caribbean region, food and drink are also very important on Tobago. The cuisine is a varied mixture with influences from Africa, China and Latin America. You can also find elements from Syria, Lebanon and Italy.

As a mirror of the island’s multicultural and diverse inhabitants, Tobago’s culinary offer offers an exciting mix that is unique in the Caribbean region. For many visitors, this form of enjoyment is one of the main reasons for travelling to the island.

Besides curry, rotis is the national standard dish. Even though Roti has its origins in East India, the dish prepared on Tobago is difficult to compare with the original and has acquired its very own character. The basis is an unleavened, thin bread similar to a tortilla. Known as the “Roti coat”, it traditionally wraps a mixture of meat and potato curry. Fillings are also common in the form of curry chicken, goat meat or mussels with pieces of potato and chickpeas. Vegetarian Roti with vegetable filling is also popular. A more expensive variant is the “Paratha Roti” with a crispy shell and a light interior.

Roti is basically hard to eat – it is therefore no shame to reach for knives and forks. The dish is so delicious that a try is highly recommended!
“Crab and Dumpling” is a local specialty, which admittedly does not taste good to all Europeans. Since the crabs on Tobago are quite small, they contain little meat. Dumplings are quite moist and sticky, so that the consistency seems quite unusual.

Seafood is very popular on Tobago and the basis of many dishes – not surprising, due to the large number of inhabitants living from fishing. There are few opportunities to get fresher fish than here. Away from the international restaurants you will find a wide range of excellent local cuisines where fish and coffees are prepared in Creole style. The clearly arranged menu usually contains only a few dishes – what is freshly available is prepared. Meat is usually offered in the form of chicken, lamb, goat and beef.
Vegetarians also benefit from the island’s culture. Not least because of the believing Hindus and Rastafarians, every restaurant offers a variety of vegetarian dishes.
Alcohol, especially in the form of rum, occupies an essential position in the world of enjoyment. Rumpunch” is particularly treacherous – a mixed drink made from fruit juices and rum, the considerable proportion of which is often underestimated.

Carib is a light lager beer with an alcohol content of 5.2%. In addition, the somewhat stronger stag of 5.5% is widespread. Beer is generally offered and consumed ice-cold and just above freezing point.

Villages

By on Countray Land_Leute

Important and worth seeing places on Tobago

Tobago Castara at the Caribbean with long sandy beach. Ideal for relaxing, snorkelling and diving — View of Castara, Tobago

Tobago offers a large selection of beautiful places. Although they are all on the same island, they are usually very different. Some are near the rainforest, others in the sandy south, some are on the Atlantic, others on the Caribbean.

We introduce different places with their very personal characteristics, so that a journey can be planned exactly where you will feel comfortable.

Our two favourites Castara and Buccoo make the start.

Castara – the up-and-coming fishing village on the Upper Caribbean

In Castara small, private accommodations and a varied nature on land and water offer a perfect basis for a relaxed holiday. Learn more about this dreamy and at the same time very lively village.

Buccoo – Pearl of the lower Caribbean

One of the most famous events on Tobago is the Sunday School in Buccoo. But the little town offers much more than this weekly party. A long sandy beach invites to typical Caribbean relaxation.

We have collected everything worth knowing about Buccoo on our topic page.

The Island of Tobago

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The Island of Tobago

Position: latitude 11°N, longitude 60°W . Trinidad & Tobago are the southernmost islands of the Lesser Antilles. Trinidad is located only 11 kilometers off the coast of Venezuela and from there separated by the Gulf of Paria. Tobago is located about 30 kilometers north-east of Trinidad. (learn more about beaches and bays)

Extent: 40.7 kilometres long; 11.9 km wide

Surface area: 300km2

Highest elevation: Pigeon Peak – 576 meters

Form of government: Democratic multi-party system

Population: approx. 61,000 (2011)

Ethnic groups: Trinidad & Tobago total – 40% African, 40% Indian, 18% mixed, 0.6% European, 0.4% Chinese, 0.6% others. On Tobago the proportion with African roots is 93%.

Religion: 35 % Anglicans, 11 % Methodists, 10 % Moravians, 10 % Adventists, 8 % Catholics and under 1 % Hindus

Largest and most important cities: Scarborough, Roxborough, Charlotteville

Structure: two regions – Western and Eastern Tobago

Industry: tourism (approx. 40,000 visitors per year) and fishing

Currency: Trinidad & Tobago Dollar (TT$) (learn more)

Current: 110 Volt / 60 Hz (learn more)

Language: English

Climate: Tropical (learn more)

Shopping: Most shops on Tobago are closed on Sundays. Supermarkets are open from 8:00 to 20:00. Usually shops are open during the week from 8:00 to 16:30 and on Saturdays from 8:00 to 12:00. In tourist areas, opening on Sunday is not uncommon. (learn more)

Sun times: sunrise – 06:00 h; sunset – 18:30 h

Time: 4 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) or 6 hours behind Central European Summer Time (CEST)

History & Culture

By on Countray Land_Leute

History & Culture of Tobago

The changeable history has led to an interesting mix of diverse cultural influences. Food, drink and festivities reflect the different epochs.

A trip around the island leads to many fortresses, most of them almost destroyed. Fort George, situated on a mountain above the island capital Scarborough, is one of the largest and best preserved contemporary witnesses and an ideal place to experience history and enjoy a great view.

A large steel wheel with the inscription “Glasgow” on the former sugar plantation Arnos Vale also points to the eventful history of the inhabitants.
The remote location leads to the question: How did this part get there at that time? The answer lies in the fact that Tobago at that time was strongly influenced by enslavement and that the ancestors of today’s inhabitants had to implement the plans of the respective occupying forces.

In Tobago’s darkest time, a rain tree in Scarborough served to hang unwilling slaves.

Due to its location off the American mainland Tobago lay on the route from West Africa, so that permanently new slaves were brought to the island by ship. At the time of the abolition of slavery in 1834, 15,000 slaves lived on Tobago.

The current population on Tobago is thus essentially “Afro-Tobagonian” – in contrast to the inhabitants of Trinidad, who are strongly influenced by Indian roots.
The inhabitants of Tobago are very proud of their culture and celebrate it at the annual “The Tobago Heritage Festival” which takes place from mid-July to the beginning of August. People from all parts of the island meet to celebrate with dances, songs and delicacies. The visitors dress in the style of the early 1900s and thus pay homage to the time when emancipation from the occupiers reached its peak.

Throughout the year, numerous events and festivals take place throughout the island. Historical events and customs such as traditional dances, weddings, limbos or combat demonstrations are often the focus here as well.

Most of the Tobagonians are of Christian faith. On Sundays, many families have a regular part in going to church together. Wearing the best suit for men and the most beautiful dress for women underlines the importance of this ritual, which can take up to half a day.

Tradition and the celebration of one’s own history thus have a firm part in the culture of Tobago. Probably the biggest event is the annual goat race in Buccoo during the Easter season. This event takes place in the midst of numerous food and drink stands run by the inhabitants of the surrounding villages. If the occupying forces cultivated horse racing as an expression of their prosperity, it was again the slaves and their descendants who established goat racing as an alternative to “the little man”. Today this event attracts thousands of spectators and tourists from all over the Caribbean.

Tobago thus has a large number of events that never cause boredom on the island. A power boat race, the Tobago Jazz Experience, an international bicycle race, a sailing regatta and a gastronomy festival round off the calendar.