Warning: Teal waters, swaying palms, and endless fun may cause impulsive sail plans! Tobago Cays. Put it on your bucket list.
One of our favorite locations in the Eastern Caribbean was the Grenadine’s Tobago Cays. After we left Canouan, this was our destination. Beautiful blue waters, superb snorkeling with a multitude of fish and turtles, sunsets and sunrises you never want to miss. It’s a sailors paradise.
Tobago Cays Sailing & Cruising Video
About Tobago Cays
Tobago Cays is a protected marine park consisting of 1400 acre sand bottom lagoon around 5 primary cays – Petit Rameau, Petit Bateau, Baradal, Petit Tabac and Jamesby as well as the island of Mayreau and Horseshoe Reef. No permanent structures or inhabitants are allowed on the 5 cays. There is only one area on the north side of Petit Bateau where cruisers gather for a nightly lobster dinner organized by locals from nearby islands. The rest is pure and untouched by humans trying to make it “better”.
Tobago Cays “boat boys” make their living helping cruisers with mooring balls, fresh produce, guided tours of the reefs and cays, boat maintenance and as I mentioned, the lobster dinner. Our first night there, we attended the dinner – along with around 80 other cruisers – and enjoyed fresh caught lobster with sides of rice and veggies.
We were able to grab a mooring ball near Petit Rameau, out of the main traffic channel. The seas were a bit choppy during our stay, so launching the dinghy was a bit of a chore.
We hiked to the top of Petit Bateau for the best vantage point in Tobago Cays. So beautiful, and it made us want to visit each little island. But strong surf was rolling in from the east, which limited what we were able to do comfortably.
Snorkeling the turtle sanctuary near Baradal was a real treat!
We did venture out to Petit Tabac, an idyllically perfect uninhabited Caribbean island with turquoise blue waters, white sand beaches, swaying palms, and reefs worth snorkeling. It was used in several scenes in the Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. It was the island that Capt. Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth ended up on when forced to walk the plank, then danced around the fire and drank rum before she set the whole stash ablaze. Also known as Jack Sparrow’s Island.
Tobago Cays is a major tourist destination with an estimated 3000 private yachts annually. Additionally, an estimated 10,000 people visit the Cays from cruise ship excursions, and private day charters from other nearby islands for fishing, diving and snorkeling.