Pigeon Point
On Tobago there is a natural phenomenon, which is only found in a few other places in the world – bright plankton! This rare spectacle can be observed in the Bon Accord lagoon in the dark. But the lagoon is quite remote and only accessible by water – so how are we supposed to get there? The solution is simple and practical: with the kayak or Stand Up Paddle Board!
Two professionals under one roof
The team of Standuppaddle Tobago offers guided tours from Pigeon Point to Bon Accord Lagoon in the evening at www.standuppaddletobago.com and has excellent references. The enquiry and booking run completely uncomplicated and reliable by e-mail – Douane Kenny, organizer of the tour, answers all our questions nicely answered and gives good tips for the day. The provider works closely with the highly professional team of Radicalsports, with whom one shares the basis. Radicalsports is probably the best known place to go on Tobago for windsurfers and kite surfers from all over the world.
With Pigeon Point we also have a starting point, which we always wanted to visit in the last years, but never made it. So now we have the possibility to combine a nice beach day with the tour in the evening.
Pigeon Point – the typical Caribbean dream beach
Pigeon Point is certainly the most famous beach for tourists on Tobago. On many trips for cruise ship guests, a stay at this location is obligatory and therefore it is particularly crowded on these days. If you are a Tobago tourist planning a day in Pigeon Point, please make sure that there is no cruise ship in the harbour of Scarborough on this day.
Pack your stuff and let´s go!
On a beautiful Thursday morning it’s finally time. The beach bags are filled with sun cream, towels, caps, sunglasses, change of clothes and water bottles – that’s all we need for the day. Or still – for a long day at the beach we recommend something to read and music to relax.
After a cosy breakfast we are picked up by our taxi and brought to Pigeon Point. The approximately 15 minute drive takes us out of Buccoo and through Canaan until the road at Store Bay finally reaches the coast. Now we go a few hundred meters further north until we finally reach a gate with cash desk.
For 20TT$ there is access to Paradise
Entrance for a visit to the beach? Yes, Pigeon Point is one of the few beaches on Tobago for which a small fee must be paid upon entry. As later confirmed, the 20 TT$ (approx. 3 Euro) for the day are a fair price and justified.
During the trip we told the taxi driver about our kayak trip, which we will do in the evening. He kindly shows us the base of Radicalsports on the spacious area and sets us down there. The trip with 70 TT$ (approx. 10 Euro) is quite cheap, so that we can recommend a visit of Pigeon Point also for a shorter stay to tourists with an apartment in the south of the island.
The beach is a dream in white
Now we walk from the parking lot to the beach. Wow – what a dream! The long, snow-white sandy beach is perfectly maintained and gently merges into the crystal-clear Caribbean. Children play in the water and build sand castles on land, while their parents make themselves comfortable on the sun lounger.
From the physical well-being to the locker and WiFi everything is thought of
In small nice wooden buildings, bars and snack stands provide for the physical well-being, clean toilets and rental lockers round off the good infrastructure. Holiday necessities and local handmade souvenirs are offered in typical beach shops. So it is not immediately a drama, if the towel was forgotten at home, the sun cream is empty or the swimming tire breaks.
The thatched pavilion is the landmark of Tobago.
At the southern end of the beach we see the landmark of Tobago par excellence! At the end of a long footbridge, the pavilion with thatched roof proudly stands and presents itself in front of a typical Caribbean panorama.
The jetty is the starting point for boat tours
The jetty is bustling with activity as glass bottom boats and other small ships take tourists on trips to the nylon pool, Buccoo Reef and No Man´s Land. But the sea is not yet our destination, the day should actually be all about recreation. Those who have the possibility to reach the destinations of the boats with a tour from another starting point, e.g. with Alibaba Tours of Castara, should prefer this in our opinion. The tours from Pigeon Point are, as far as we know, reliable and serious, but the tourist hustle and bustle takes some of the charm out of the trip.
Sun, sunbed, Wifi – relaxation in the 21st century
We stroll along the shallow water until we find a nice shady place under a palm tree. It is still slightly cloudy, but the day will certainly bring much sun again. A friendly employee offers to rent beach chairs from him. 20 TT$ per couch is a fair price for the whole day. Now take off your T-shirt, put on some cream, switch on your headphones and relax – that’s exactly how a holiday must be!
Thanks to free WiFi, you can even stream music directly from the web, download a new e-book and send photos from the beach to your loved ones at home.
The beach is well visited but by far not overcrowded. So you don’t spend the day close to the couch – everybody makes himself as comfortable as he wants and has enough privacy.
Good catering facilities on site
For lunch we have a look around at the snack stalls and see what the offer has to offer. There are burgers, chips, chicken wings and other fast food on offer – not particularly varied, but at fair prices. The same applies to ice cream and drinks.
When the entrance closes at 5 p.m., it becomes empty.
Now that the sun is shining brightly from the sky, we stretch our feet a little to finally take the obligatory tourist photo at the footbridge with the hut. Yes – it’s cheesy, but somehow it’s also part of it once you’re there.
Around 5 p.m. it becomes noticeably emptier on the beach. Admission is no longer possible and many Tobagonians want to be home before nightfall.
Next destination: Surfer base
Slowly we pack our things together and make our way to the base of Radicalsports / Standuppaddle Tobago at the other end of the beach.
