Tobago Cays

Tobago Cays

About
A collection of several uninhabited islands in the southern section of the Grenadines that offer some of the best beaches for swimming, tanning and snorkeling in the Caribbean.
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5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles403 reviews
Excellent
338
Very good
43
Average
15
Poor
5
Terrible
2

sally s
Yeovil, UK32 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Any pictures you see of the colour of the water won't do the area justice. Catch it on a nice sunny low wind day and the unbelievable light blues and turquoises really can take your breathe away. Love the area; lots of fish and turtles to spot; lovely swimming beach. Not sure about the style of the local open air beach cafe area as it doesn't enhance the tranquil beauty of the place, they would probably get more business from visiting yachts if it was slightly better designed. But hey, you don't go to Tobago Cays to sit in a cafe which is well hidden up the beach anyway. This is one of the most unspoilt beautiful places and well worth big effort to visit it.
Written 23 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hale F
Oxford, MS476 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2022 • Couples
We sell there on a charter and were immediately approached by both boys assisting us with the Moring which we appreciate it and who provided lobster and fish dinners in the evenings. This is a very popular place with a lot of boats we moored near the island away from Fowlkes which had some of the better snorkeling. The snorkeling closer to the reef has a lot of seas and you have to be able to get in and out of a dinghy to enjoy it. We took in the dinner provided by the boat boys and it was good but not great with a lot of folks participating.
Written 11 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

lisa s
Elmhurst, IL31 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
The water, reefs and aquatic life here are all outstanding. There must’ve been 70 yachts moored but everyone was polite, quiet and respectful. Even though the reef breaks the waves, it is windy here so keep that in mind if you’re bareboating. Moorings in the cut are quite close together. There is current too so I can see how it could be intimidating for a beginner snorkeler or someone who is not a confident swimmer. Saw numerous rays, turtles and many beautiful fish. There are 2 dingy moorings for those who wish to dinghy out to the reef. We’ve snorkeled throughout the Caribbean and I’d consider this to be in the top 3. Sandy Island off Carriacou, Petit Nevis and Indians in the BVI were similarly exceptional.
Written 4 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

J_travelB
Guelph, Canada1,383 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Couples
One of those amazing places on the planet. It is a Marine Park. The colour of the water is every shade of blue imaginable. Clear water, turtles and other ocean life everywhere, beautiful beaches. Accessible only by boat. Should be on everyone's bucket list. If you are lucky enough to get here, you'll never forget it.
Written 30 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

David H
Bury, UK1,656 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Friends
We moored our boat overnight in the cut between the islands and explored by dinghy. There was quite a current flowing which made swimming a little tricky, but once mastered it was a magical place to be. There are plenty of quiet, sandy beaches to relax on, lovely blue-green waters for swimming and snorkelling, and of course the bar! I went on deck early the next morning to find a family of three turtles swimming up and down next to the boat looking for food, and there were also rays close to the shore.

This really is an idyllic place, accessible only by small boat, and a must-see for anybody touring the Grenadines.
Written 28 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AllycatCanada
Halifax, Canada315 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2022 • Friends
Such a great experience at Romeo’s. The food was delicious, so many sides and he even gave us an extra lobster portion. It was a very windy night so Romeo came over to get us off if our boat. We still got wet but better than the inflatable!
Written 6 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

fellowtraveler27
Brooklyn, NY224 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021
After snorkeling at maybe 15 different locations over the years, the Grenadines and specifically Tobago Cays were top of my list to try next. Unfortunately, what I experienced was that the areas that are touted as top for snorkeling (and also near where boats can get access through the waters, which are extremely shallow) were clearly dying and have become completely over-visited - and note that this is after a year and a half of extremely low levels of visitors due to the pandemic (I went July 2021, low season).

The top snorkeling "path" (if you look at the detailed map of the Marine Park while planning your boating/visit you'll see where this is, and where the roped-off turtle area is, nearby) had some variety of fish and a reef that I would give maybe a B- rating to. Not a ton of diversity of sea life, but of course that can change week by week or even day by day due to water/wind/storm conditions. But the health of the coral definitely doesn't change month to month - I saw tons of dead and dying coral. Seeing huge areas of bleached "bones" is so sad, but I can see how it is happening. The Tobago Cays has gotten so popular and everyone goes to the same spots among the 5 main islands - hundreds of crafts visit every day during high season. There are even cruise ships that visit here, which you know means disaster for reefs, even if they are smaller boats.

The roped-off area for turtles and starfish viewing was really sad. The captain of my power boat was obsessed with finding turtles for me to see, because that's what his clients want. He powered right into the roped-off area, insisting it was legal (there was another powered dinghy in the area, to be fair, and I couldn't tell via my research if he was right or not). If it's legal, it shouldn't be. The area should obviously be only for snorkelers and swimmers, as it's small, very shallow, and turtles are very easy to scare and to damage/kill with power boats. We didn't see any, which made my captain almost frantic. I had to tell him to please move on and take me to a different, more remote area for me to snorkel and to not worry about turtles.

I understand that the experience of the absolutely stunning uninhabited 5 islands (though notably, one of them has food/drink, picnic tables, and people feeding the fish from the sand), eating lobster when it's in season and other fresh seafood, and getting to know other people on different boats brings people to the Cays, and thrills a lot of folks. But you can get all of that on every single one of the Grenadine islands. The idea of hanging out and eating lobster is not what a Marine Park should be about, and it's antithetical to a preserved reef area.

I can't recommend this area to my fellow sea lovers if you care about reef health. I'd recommend it only to those who will anchor far away from the reefs, enjoy the gorgeousness of the island views, and then leave. I can't comment on the diving, which I hope is better since fewer people dive, and deepwater reefs don't have to contend with the noxious sunblock of snorkelers and boats getting too close.

FWIW, I experienced better snorkeling off Friendship Bay on Bequia - I got to take tons of time because there was almost no current (the major snorkeling path in the Tobago Cays has a serious current which rushes you through the area and can lead you right over reefs that are at your stomach level, which can lead to serious injury to the reef and of course to you if you don't know what you're doing. The other snorkeling area I went to in the Cays was a bit better in terms of current but was still dying). There was quite a bit of sea life off of Friendship Bay and no one else in the water. Tons of urchin (one sign of reef health) and coral showing new life. There are many reefs like that ringing every Grenadine island and when I go again, I would go to other islands in the chain, where folks don't anchor close to the reef or have a lot of traffic (there are lots to choose from).

Please know what you're going to get if you got for snorkeling and getting away from it all. You can get all the fresh seafood / lobster you want at your base island, whether it's Mustique, Bequia, Canouan, Union, Palm, St. Vincent or wherever, and you can go see the gorrrrrrrrgeous uninhabited islands that abound in the Grenadines on your chosen craft. But as a Marine Park, this area needs time to heal and going there now perpetuates the obsession with hunting down turtles to look at them for 20 seconds while they try to get away from you - or perhaps even worse, while they try to eat human food.

I sound like such a horrible downer - the entire island chain is worth your visit! I did love Mayreau, for swimming and photography and sunbathing. Salt Whistle Cay there is absolutely stunning.

I hope that Tobago Cays will resist its reef decline and eventually be a sustainable place for sea life and all the people who make their life from boating around the Grenadines.
Written 2 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jane
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2019 • Friends
I arrived in Tobago Cays with some friends on a charter. We wanted to have fresh lobster beach BBQ. We were recommended by some friends that we should look and ask for Free Willy! They said that he has the best beach BBQ in the Cays.

We managed to get him. HIS FOOD WAS AMAZING!!! His chef (Bets) did a fantastic job. Willy was so friendly, picked us up from our boat to the beach. His rum punch was also yummy!

I highly recommend you having a BBQ with him!

He is available on Facebook: Free Willy Tobago Cays
Written 27 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

rorykemp
Southampton, UK2 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2017 • Friends
We have just come back from a yacht charter where we visited Tobago cays! We had been there 4 years ago at the same time of year and had a wonderful time swimming with the turtles and seeing an abundance of them, as long as you went first thing in the morning. This year we only managed to see 2 and they were not even in the turtle area! Very disappoinging. Does anyone know what has happened/
Written 11 March 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Henry M
Chula Vista, CA11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019 • Couples
This was truly paradise. Snorkeling and swimming with turtles at the sanctuary was amazing. There is really no words to describe this place because you have to experience it for yourself.
Written 14 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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TOBAGO CAYS (2025) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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