Charlotteville sights like the picturesque Man of War Bay and its impressive rock formations are enough to satisfy the majority of visitors, but Charlotteville vacations can include much more than staring out to an immaculate sea. Found on the northeast coast of Tobago, Charlotteville is a small fishing village that enjoys a certain amount of peace and quiet, and while it has managed to mostly escape tourist radars, the secret is starting to get out. The attractions in Charlotteville are predominantly related to the sea and to the rainforest that surrounds the village, and while some might simply prefer soaking up some sun on a beach while enjoying Charlotteville vacations, others will be looking to engage in more active pursuits. Charlotteville Tobago provides an ideal mix of fun and relaxation in the Caribbean, and you’ll want to spend at least a few days here if you can when visiting Tobago.

Because Charlotteville Tobago is backed by mountains and rainforest, getting to it by land was all but out of the question for early European settlers. Thanks to the Caribbean Sea and the deep harbor that fronts the village, however, these settlers could arrive by boat. The Dutch were the first Europeans to land here, and when they arrived in 1633, they were met by Carib natives. While the indigenous Caribs did not exactly welcome the Dutch with open arms, once more settlers arrived in 1639, the village of Charlotteville was born. Since the early days, agriculture has been a main staple of the local economy, as has fishing. In the nineteenth century, the sugar plantations in Charlotteville Tobago helped the village to grow, but thankfully it hasn’t grown too much. Still relatively remote and unspoiled, Charlotteville retains a charming appeal that is hard to deny. You can still buy fish from local fisherman who haul in a healthy daily catch, and if you are not staying at a Charlotteville hotel that offers cooking facilities for guests, you can usually find a local restaurant to prepare your fish for you. In addition to picking up some fish for dinner, you can also hit the outdoor produce markets in town, where local vegetables abound. Anglers interested in seeing what they can catch themselves during Charlotteville vacations can book deep-sea fishing excursions. Kingfish and tuna usually bite the most in the area waters.

Some of the best beaches in Trinidad and Tobago can be found near Charlotteville, and if you like snorkeling, the cove at Pirates Bay is a good spot to enter the sea. It’s a bit of an up and down walk just to get to the 165 stairs that lead down to Pirates Cove, so it takes some work to get to. Once you arrive, however, you’ll be glad that you made the journey. The small, sandy beach at Pirates Cove is often devoid of people, and when you’re not checking out the birds and lizards that live here, you can look for parrotfish, angelfish, and other marine life while snorkeling in the bay. Another one of the alluring beaches that you can include on your list of attractions in Charlotteville is Lover’s Beach, which is only accessible by boat. The crushed seashells that have washed onto the beach here give the sand a pinkish hue, and should you find someone to drop you off at Lover’s Beach for a few hours, you’ll likely be the only soul on the island until they come back to pick you up.

Trinidad & Tobago Map

Swimming and snorkeling are great ways to enjoy the water during Charlotteville vacations, and since there are a couple dive operators in town, you can always do some scuba diving as well. When you aren’t diving the waters near Charlotteville, you can see what the Atlantic Ocean waters offer near the village of Speyside. It’s just a fifteen-minute boat ride away, and among the underwater sights off Speyside are the brain coral, which are the biggest in the world. For beginning scuba divers, the aforementioned Pirates Bay is an ideal spot to dive thanks to its calm water. As for exploring on land, the hiking trails through the mountains and forests that back the village are among the attractions in Charlotteville that you will want consider. Guided tours and hikes in the rainforest are easy to book in Charlotteville, and among the rainforest sights are frogs, snakes, birds, and waterfalls. Birdwatching is a top endeavor for many visitors to Tobago, and in addition to birding in the rainforest, you can also book the short trip to Little Tobago island, which is one of the top birdwatching spots in all the Caribbean.

There’s more to Charlotteville vacations than one might first imagine, and it seems that there are few places in the Caribbean that can match the experience here. Sure, Charlotteville might lack the resorts that are found on the southern side of Tobago and along the northern coast of Trinidad, but that’s part of the appeal. You come to Charlotteville to escape from the every-day world. The hotels lack a ton of amenities and the restaurants are humble affairs, and that’s just fine by most. While life is mellow and slow here, there are enough attractions in Charlotteville to keep you busy if you want to be busy at all. That’s something to decide once you get here.