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"The Black Pearl? I've heard stories about them. They've been plundering ships and settlements for almost ten years. Never leave any survivors behind."
"No survivors? Then where do the stories come from, I wonder?"
Just like the ship of the Caribbean's most notorious pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow, the island of Tobago was a similar story. We had heard a lot about it, but we had never seen it.
The Caribbean: palm trees and white sand, warm turquoise-blue water, sun and cocktails. That sounded like a good backup plan for the notoriously grey and cold winter in Germany. Especially as Tobago still largely offers the Caribbean in its original state - very relaxed people, never hectic, chickens in the streets, no bed castles. With relatively empty dream beaches, at least as long as no cruise ships dock and thousands of all-inclusive tourists from all over the world are carted off to the beach for a day.
Tobago has belonged to the English, French, Dutch - and pirates
The island of Tobago has a chequered history and has changed hands at least 31 times since its discovery by Columbus. Sometimes it was the English, then the French, the Dutch and even Estonians. In between, the island has also been a pirate base from time to time, not least due to the changing balance of power. However, if you think you can escape the hustle and bustle of Carnival in February, despite all the relaxation, you are completely wrong. But from the beginning...
Unlike the pirates back then, there is no longer any threat of scurvy on the journey. After a flight of just under nine hours, you swap your winter clothes and boots for board shorts and flip flops and find yourself at the small airport at Crown Point. From there, it's just a few minutes to the main spot, Pigeon Point. This nature reserve offers a picture postcard ambience - large palm groves, white beaches and a bay protected by an outer reef with unreal water colours.
There's not much going on on the water, but even more underwater: turtles and rays can be seen here regularly, and a large part of the island was placed under nature protection back in 1765, which not only protected the tropical forest in the centre of the island, but also offered protection to the native animals - especially the colourful birdlife. Here you'll find hummingbirds in all colours, ant shrikes, motmots, jacamars, geckos and lizards, waterfalls that invite you to take a refreshing dip - welcome to the jungle!
The carnival, which is celebrated extensively here, is as colourful as the birds in the rainforest. Rose Monday is called "J'ouvert" here. Since in the dark days of slavery around 1783, under French rule at the time, slaves were only allowed to celebrate before work, the carnival parade traditionally begins at 4.30 in the morning, for example through the town of Crown Point. And to make sure that everyone knows it's carnival, loudspeaker-laden floats in the style of the Love Parade provide a sound that can probably be heard as far away as the neighbouring island of Trinidad.
Alcohol flows freely, of course, and the whole thing is more like a big party, including a colour battle with body painting, with the last people only slowly giving up around midday. The actual carnival takes place on Tuesdays, for example in the island's capital Scarborough. Although the volume from the loudspeaker trucks is just as deafening, the costumes are incredibly colourful and there is a typical Caribbean joie de vivre. Feathers and glitter, steel bands, lots of dancing and smiling faces everywhere.
The Tobago pace: shuffling instead of walking
However, the typical serenity on the island is not disturbed by the carnival or the thousands of cruise tourists. It is something you notice again and again: especially the Europeans, who are always well organised and have a tight schedule, obviously have considerable difficulties at the beginning to completely relax, or "limen", as it is called and practised here.
After a few days on the island at the latest, however, you notice how you become calmer and at some point you involuntarily ask yourself how world-class sprinters and Olympic medallists could develop on an island where almost everyone moves in slow motion? You don't see anyone running here, not even going fast, but rather shuffling along at a leisurely pace.
After a relaxed surf session, simply sit under a palm tree, look out to sea and relax in your thoughts while solving the problems of the universe, a cool Carib Beer or a cocktail in your hand - Jack Sparrow would have loved it on Tobago too.
Area information: Windsurfing in Tobago
Journey
Condor flies directly from Frankfurt (9 hours) once a week - and also transported our test material as a partner of surf. The transfer time to Tobago is only a few minutes. It is possible to bring your own equipment. Car hire is not absolutely necessary on site, the distances are short and if you want to surf at the main spot Pigeon Point, you can actually reach everything on foot or by bike. A taxi can also be a good solution for a tour of the island, leaving more time to enjoy the beauty of the island on the narrow and winding roads. Hiring a scooter is less of a tip in view of the many potholes and the quite idiosyncratic interpretation of the traffic rules by the locals.
Living
The area around the Pigeon Point surf spot is a nature reserve in which no hotels may be built. You therefore have to stay in the nearby village of Crown Point, with accommodation located between 25 and 40 minutes' walk from the spot. If the beautiful walk takes too long, you should hire a bike, which will take you to the spot in just under ten minutes. Crown Point has accommodation to suit almost every budget, from self-catering flats to all-inclusive hotels.
Here are a few tips for unmissable destinations that are particularly popular with surfers:
- Bananaquit: Simple, clean apartments, ideal for self-catering (https://bananaquit.com)
- Shepherds Inn: Stately and with a restaurant, popular with surfers (www.shepherdsinntobago.com)
- Sea Shell Villas: Chic self-catering villas for 4-6 people (https://seashellsvillas.com)
- Kariwak Village: Nice ambience with a good restaurant (http://kariwak.com)
- The Surf & Action Company (www.surf-action.com) also offers complete packages with flight, board hire & accommodation.
Surf stations
Radical Sports Tobago (www.radicalsportstobago.com) is the surf centre at Pigeon Point, very well maintained and in addition to windsurfing and kitesurfing lessons, Brett and his crew offer a wide range of activities - from yoga to foiling. In addition to equipment hire, you can also store your own equipment and airport transfers are also available. The surf test team also has its base here for testing equipment.
There are also several restaurants and bars at Pigeon Point, but Radical Sports also offers food to order the day before on some days. The rum punch served by station managers Brett & Alex is also notorious!
Wind, weather & neoprene recommendations
The best time for a trip to Tobago is between December and May, when the reliable trade wind blows from an easterly direction at over twelve knots on 60 to 75 per cent of days. As in many other spots in the Caribbean, the wind on Tobago tends to be moderate - twelve to 18 knots are the rule. However, days with >20 knots can also occur from time to time. When it's cloudy, the wind can be a little gusty, but otherwise it's wonderfully constant through the lagoon. With water temperatures of 27 degrees and air temperatures of around 30 degrees, you can safely leave a wetsuit at home and wear shorts and lycra, especially against the Caribbean sun. Shoes are recommended, as there are several coral reefs in the lagoon and the poisonous stingers of the occasional stonefish are no fun.
Waves & currents
The large lagoon at Pigeon Point is surrounded by a reef belt and is therefore a very safe area. The currents are also kept within limits, on normal days the wind waves are at most knee-high. However, if the wind blows from the north, which is quite rare, you can enjoy really good surf waves on the outer reef. There are also some top spots for surfers on the island, e.g. Mt Irvine in the south-west of the island. Swell forecasts can be found at www.magicseaweed.com
Alternative programme
A magical experience and highly recommended is a "bioluminesence tour" with Duane Kenny on one of the nights of the new moon! You paddle into the nearby lagoon at night in kayaks, where the fluorescent plankton is truly magical, as are the many animals in and above the water!
Definitely worth a trip is a guided tour into the woods for bird watching. We can particularly recommend a tour with Newton George, a former ranger who seems to know almost every bird personally and puts his heart and soul into it.
Castara/Englishman Bay is also interesting: there are a whole series of small bays on the island where the clocks run even slower. You can watch the fishermen land their catch and get an idea of what the Caribbean must have looked like 100 years ago.
Snorkelling and diving are also popular and, given the variety of fish and corals at the interface between the Atlantic and the Caribbean, a highlight for windless days.
Good to know
A mosquito net and mosquito spray should be in your luggage! However, malaria prophylaxis is not necessary. Cuts and wounds heal very badly in warm water and there is a risk of infection - a small first-aid kit won't do any harm. The local language in Tobago is English.
Shady sides
People are warned about pickpockets, especially during the carnival season.
Windsurfing spots on Tobago
1) Pigeon Point/Lagoon
The protected 2.5 x one kilometre lagoon at the Pigeon Point spot is located in the extreme south-west of Tobago, not far from the small town of Crown Point. The lagoon is shielded from the waves of the Atlantic by a reef belt, and even in strong winds there are no small chops that make life particularly difficult even for less experienced windsurfers. The fact that large parts of the lagoon are shallow also contributes to the fact that you can practise your manoeuvres very safely here. The spot itself fulfils all the Caribbean clichés - turquoise bathtub water, white sandy beach and palm trees swaying in the wind! On sunny days, the trade wind usually blows very steadily across the lagoon, and on cloudy days it can be a little gusty. The further you get from the shore, the lighter the wind often becomes. The ground in the water is mostly sandy, but there are also some sharp coral blocks - shoes are not a mistake! At the local Radical Sports Centre, you can either store your own equipment or hire equipment.
2) Pigeon Point/Boca
The reef surrounding the lagoon sometimes breaks nice surf waves. In rare north winds, a nice surf wave breaks not far from Pigeon Point within sight of the palm beach, which also gives wave beginners a chance. With wind from the right, the waves can also be ridden frontside, waist to chest high is a common wave height here. Only when the swell really kicks in do big breakers run over the reef. In the surf zone, however, it is always deep enough to avoid landing on the reef.
In normal trade winds from the east to north-east, it is also possible to start from Pigeon Point on a half-wind course to the outer reef. However, the wind decreases the further away from the shore you get - sufficiently large wave equipment is strongly recommended.
A small channel leads through the reef into deep water. The wind then blows sideshore from the right, the wave usually reaches a height of one to two metres and is quite moderate. Nevertheless, you have to be aware that you are surfing virtually out of sight of the shore here; if the material breaks, you will inevitably head for Porlamar in Venezuela, around 400 kilometres away. You should therefore never go to this part of the reef alone and enquire about the conditions at the surf centre! Shoes are also advisable here.
