Tobago - Tobago

Map of Tobago

Tobago is an island of Trinidad and Tobago.

places

Other goals

Little Tobago Island

This island off the northeast coast is also by the name Bird of Paradise Island known. It is less than 2 km from Tobago and has an area of ​​about 1.5 x 1.5 km. The crossing takes about 15 minutes. At Tyrell's Bay you can always find boats taking visitors over. The fare is TT $ 50. There are three signposted trails on the island. Sometimes lead over steep stairs over the island. The island is owned by the state as a nature reserve. There's a security guard over there.

In 1909 the Englishman Sir William Ingram brought about 50 birds of paradise from the New Guinea “Aru Island” to Little Tobago to protect them from extinction. In 1963, hurricane “Flora” destroyed the breeding area. Today none of these birds of paradise are found, but there are 58 other species of tropical seabirds.

background

Country description

Englishmans Bay north coast east of Castara

The island is about 42 km long and 13 km wide and is of volcanic origin. It is located 35 km northeast of Trinidad. Around 11,000 years ago there was still a continuous land mass between South America, Trinidad and Tobago.

On the northwest corner of the island is the 10,000 year old, 12 hectare Buccoo Reef coral reef. In some places the water is only a meter deep. There are 39 species of coral and over 70 species of fish.

The mountain forests of the Main Ridge are among the first protected forest reserves in the western world.

The island has so far been very poorly developed for tourism. Between Crown Point and Store Bay you can find a whole range of accommodations that call themselves hotels, but sometimes don't even have a 24-hour reception or a restaurant. Some of the apartments are located in private houses or are operated as a sideline. Many of the so-called restaurants are often just better rum shops, simple stalls made of wood and tin, shopping opportunities are rare and without a large selection. In the further course of the north-west coast to Plymouth you can only find individual, far apart hotels and restaurants, so that you have to rely on a rental car there. The rest of the island has some beautiful, long, gently curved beach bays with tall palm trees on the side, they are all completely undeveloped.

history

Fort James: coral limestone as a building material

At the time when Christopher Columbus Sailed through the Caribbean, around 1,200 Carib Indians lived in the western part of Tobago. In the inaccessible mountains of the eastern half there are said to have been 300 Arawak Indians at the same time. Columbus never came to this island, but he should give it its name Bellaforma have given. In the following centuries the historical development of Tobagos was very different from that of Trinidad. The English, French, Dutch and Spanish occupied the island and took it from each other. Island governors often did not stay on the island for six months, if someone was available at all.

In 1580 sailors came ashore from passing British ships and hoisted their flags, but they did not found a place and left the island again. Raised in 1608 King James I. England publicly claimed Tobago, but it was not until 1625 that English came under the leadership of the clergyman Nicolas Leverton from Barbados to the island. Three years later the Dutch captain tried Joachim Gijsz a landing and established the place Nieuw Vlissingen. Both groups were driven out by the Carib Indians. It was not until 1632 that the Dutch succeeded in setting up a base near what is now Plymouth. They built this for their protection Fort Nieuw Walcheren. In 1636 they had to flee from the Spanish governor of Trinidad.

Between 1642 and 1646, Dutch settlers attempted to farm in Milford Bay. Due to a lack of support from the mother country, they left the island again.

Donated in 1639 King Charles I. of England the island of Tobago to his godfather Duke James of Courland. After two unsuccessful attempts, the Duchess of Courland went with her captain in 1654 Wilhelm Molleyns, 80 families and 120 soldiers ashore at Plymouth. They built Fort Jakobus and immediately began working in the fields. Tobacco, sugar cane and ginger were planted. Just one year later, the first harvest could be sold to Europe and in the following three years 400 more families came to the island. In Northern Europe, the Duke of Courland was captured by Swedish soldiers in 1658. The island of Tobago was then sold to the Dutch merchant brothers for 500 thalers Adrian and Cornelius Lampsius sold who were already living on Rockley Bay at the time. Their settlement was called Lampsinsburg, and its fortification is still known today as the Dutch Fort.

In 1662 the Lampsius brothers allowed some French to settle on the island. As a thank you, the French appointed King Luis XIV. one of the brothers to the Baron of Tobago. The next island governor, the Dutchman Hugh de Beveron, had a fort built on Rockley Bay. Dutch, French, English and planters from Courland tilled their fields with cocoa, tobacco, cotton and sugar cane.

In 1664 the Duke of Courland was released. Two years later, his close ties to the English King Charles II led to a naval dispatch of English ships to Tobago. Fort Lampsinburg was destroyed. In 1677 100 French soldiers landed in the bay and destroyed all the houses in Lampsinburg. In 1679 Tobago became Dutch again in the Peace of Nijmegen. In 1733 even Swedish colonists tried to establish themselves on the island. Until 1762 it changed several times between English, French and Dutch supremacy. In the Treaty of Paris it was awarded to the English. Two years later, two companies of the 62nd Regiment landed in Kings Bay. 1765 was Alexander Brown was sent to the island as the first lieutenant governor and again a year later the English began to distribute farmland for new plantations. Scarborough was founded and Fort King George was built. 1768 made governor Robert Mellville the place Mount St. George to the seat of government, the place is since Georgetown called. The new parliament tried to unite the island of Tobago together with Dominica, Grenada and Saint Vincent into a political community, but this failed. Because of the good harbor, the government moved to Scarborough a year later. To this day, the Prime Minister's official residence is still in Mount St. George.

In 1771, 368 Europeans and 5,084 African slaves lived on the island.

In 1781 there was a sea battle between the French and the English near the island of Martinique. The English were defeated and Tobago was conquered, and in 1793 the English succeeded in their final reconquest. At that time there were 37 sugar and 99 cotton factories.

In 1800, 2,300 Europeans, 1,050 free colored people and 10,000 slaves lived on 106 plantations.

In 1802 Tobago was awarded to the French in the Peace of Amiens. Napoleon Bonaparte installed General Sabuguet as the island's governor. But just a year later the English attacked again at Arnos Vale and forced the French to surrender. In 1814 the island was finally assigned to the English in the Treaty of Paris.

In 1834 slavery was abolished in the English colonies. The island's plantation owners received £ 233,875 in compensation for former slaves. Since one could only pay low wages on the small island, the recruitment of contract workers was far less successful than on Trinidad.

In 1847 a hurricane accompanied by an earthquake destroyed a large part of the plantations, causing additional hardship and difficulties.

In 1851 there were 14,378 people on the island. By 1876 the population had grown to 18,051.

In 1876 the colored population revolted against the white plantation owners. The Roxborough Plantation mansion was burned down. The non-commissioned officer was in the immediate vicinity Corporal Belmanna killed after a black woman was shot in a scuffle. It took British Marines a week to restore peace to the island. Nevertheless, many plantation owners were now afraid of further uprisings, and some left the island. In 1882 there were 32 rum stills on the island, but only 17 were still in use. In 1884 the London Company Filing for bankruptcy, she owned almost half of all plantations on the island. In 1885 a royal commission came up with the idea of ​​merging Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Tobago into one colony. The idea was quickly dropped. Instead, Tobago and Trinidad were united into a single colony in 1889. For almost 100 years, Tobago was administered from Trinidad.

In 1980 the Tobago Parliament, Tobago House of Assembly (THA) was established. Only in 1987 did the island regain its full internal autonomy. Since 1996 there is again a Legislative Assembly.

National parks

  • Buccoo Marine Park. Buccoo Reef coral reef.
  • Eastern Tobago National Park, Charlotteville.
  • Grafton and Caledonian Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Little Tobago Island. Bird sanctuary.
  • St. Giles Island, north of Charlotteville. Bird sanctuary and breeding ground for frigate birds and 24 other species of tropical seabirds.
  • Tobago Forest Reserve, Main Ridge. The range of hills in the center of the island rises up to 579 m and was placed under protection as early as 1776. The mountain range is the refuge for many species of birds.

Flora and fauna

Trinidad and Tobago are among the top ten countries for the number of bird species per square mile. Due to its proximity to South America, there are many species of birds that are otherwise only found on the South American continent. On Tobago you can find 400 different species of birds, 600 different butterflies, 16 types of lizards, including rare ones like the Great Green Iguana and the Tegu. There are 14 species of frogs, 17 species of bats and 24 non-poisonous snake species. In addition, about a dozen other mammals can be found on the island such as the agouti, the armadillo armadillo, the opossum and a species of deer. Caiman crocodiles can also be found at Hillsborough Dam and some other quiet spots.

The island is one of the top ten countries that have counted and cataloged their bird life per square kilometer.

Political status

Tobago and Trinidad form a confederation of states. But since 1987 Tobago has had full internal independence. There has been a regional parliament on the island since 1980, the Tobago House of Assembly with 15 members.

language

English is the official language, but the locals speak a dialect that is difficult to understand, a kind of patois.

getting there

Flight connections

Crown Point Intl Airport
1  Crown Point Airport (IATA: TAB). Crown Point Airport in the Wikipedia encyclopediaCrown Point Airport in the media directory Wikimedia CommonsCrown Point Airport (Q1431143) in the Wikidata database.Official name A.N.R. Robinson International Airport. Runway 11/29, 2,744 x 46 meters, asphalt, Tel. 639-8547. The airport is located in the extreme southwest of the island near the small town Canaan.

Airlines

  • British Airways, Airfield, Crown Point. Tel.: 639-0588, Fax: 639-0550.
  • Caribbean Airlines, Airfield, Crown Point. Tel.: 631-8023, 625-7200 (Reservation).
  • LIAT, Airport, Crown Point. Tel.: 639-0484.

Ship connections

  • Ferries run between Tobago and Port of Spain in Trinidad from Tuesday to Sunday. T&T Spirit and T&T Express Fast Ferry, passenger ferry, travel time about 3 hours. One-way fare TT $ 50, children pay half. Departures from Scarborough at 6:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
  • Warrior Spirit (car ferry), travel time about 5 hours. The fare for a one-way trip is TT $ 37.50, children pay half the price. Taking a car with you costs between TT $ 150 one way and TT $ 250 a return trip. Depart Scarborough at 11pm. The travel times can change. Further information on site and on the Internet. http://patnt.com
  • Cruise ships regularly dock in the port of Scarborough.

mobility

Attention, left-hand traffic!

By bus

Buses run in all directions from the bus station on Gardenside Road in Scarborough. You cannot buy tickets on the bus, without a ticket you cannot get on the bus! The tickets are available in selected shops in the individual locations.

  • Ticket sales
  • Charlotteville, at the gas station
  • Crown Point - Store Bay, Jimmy's Supermarket, Milford Road
  • Scarborough, in the old main post office building

taxi

There are public route taxis and maxi taxis. Taxi ranks heading towards Buccoo, Black Rock, Airfield and Plymouth are in Lower Scarborough on Milford Road / Wilson Road and those heading towards Charlotteville and Roxborough are on Main Street opposite the Royal Bank.

Rental car

Renters must have a valid international driver's license. This can be used for a period of 90 days. The maximum speed on the entire island is 50 km / h. Speed ​​controls are carried out. Drivers should note that there are only five petrol stations on the island, they close early in the evening and are usually completely closed on weekends!

The rental fee is from TT $ 200 per day plus a security deposit of TT $ 2,000, taxes and insurance.

Rental prices: Rental car, per day, TT $ 180-300; Motorcycles, TT $ 90 per day, TT $ 540 per week; Scooter, TT $ 60 per day, TT $ 360 per week; Bicycles, per day, TT $ 35-40.

Tourist Attractions

  • Buccoo Marine Park. The Buccoo Reef coral reef is 10,000 years old, 12 km² in size. In some places the water is only a meter deep. There are 39 species of coral and over 70 species of fish, including reef sharks and baracudas. The reef is divided into four areas, Eastern Reef, Northern Reef, Western Reef, and Pigeon Point Reef. There is a deeper channel between the Northern and Western Reefs. Since 1973, most of the reef has been declared an underwater reserve. Access is only possible with glass bottom boats. These depart from Store Bay and Pigeon Point. Diving is only allowed in marked places.
  • Grafton and Caledonian Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary. A nature reserve was created on this part of the former Grafton Estate after the severe cyclone of 1963. There is a small exhibition in the former Copra House. Around 4 p.m. you can watch many birds there when they come to feed.Price: Admission is free.
  • St. Giles Island. Bird sanctuary and breeding ground for frigate birds and 24 other species of tropical seabirds.
  • Tobago Forest Reserve, Main Ridge. The range of hills in the center of the island rises up to 579 m and was placed under protection as early as 1776. The mountain range is the refuge for many species of birds. You can hike there with a local guide.

activities

water sports

  • Tobago has a number of beaches for swimming, sunbathing and snorkeling. However, topless or even nude bathing is not permitted anywhere.
  • Diving areas can be found along the entire west coast of the island, permitted areas are partially marked. The Buccoo Reef in the southwest, Man O'War Bay in the north of the island, the diving areas between Speyside and the island of Little Tobago in the northeast and the St. Giles Islands in the north are known.
  • Surfing and kite surfing are possible in some parts of the west coast
  • Deep sea fishing, e.g. Tobago Game Fishing Tournament and TTGTA International Game Fishing Tournament
  • sailing Tobago Carnival sailing regatta

Activities on land

At Mt-Irvine-Bay Golf Club

Wildlife observation

  • There are numerous species of birds on the island, and the neighboring islands of Little Tobago and St. Giles are important breeding grounds.
  • Leatherback turtles come every year in April / May to lay their eggs on some beaches (e.g. Turtle Beach, Charlotteville, Speyside)

carnival

The carnival on Tobago is much smaller and cannot be compared to that of Trinidad. In the previous weeks, calypso competitions were held in individual villages. On Carnival Sunday and the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday there are small processions, costume parades with music and dancing in Scarborough.

miscellaneous

kitchen

  • Crab 'n' dumplings are spiced, finely chopped pieces of crab meat, rolled in flour and fried with small dumplings.
  • Curried Crab and Dumplings is the island's national dish, crabs in curry sauce with dumplings.
  • Conch stew is a goulash made from large clams.
  • Coconut Bake and Saltfish is a flour dough with desiccated coconut, in which clipfish is turned and then baked in oil.
  • Oil Down consists of breadfruit, which is cooked with meat and coconut milk.
  • Roti are Indian flatbreads that are filled with all kinds of curry dishes.
  • I got to know Bake & Shark, also known as shark bun, at Store Bay. There, small pieces of shark were rolled in flour and baked in fat, and there were small yeast dough balls with steamed peppers, tomatoes and onions.
  • Yard Fowl is the name given to free-range chickens, and there are still a lot of them on the island of Tobago.
  • The local beer is called Carib, Heiroun and Stag Lager Beer. Guinness, Mackeson and Stout are also bottled under license on the island. The island's best-known rums are Old Oak and VAT 19.
  • There are also countless non-alcoholic, so-called soft drinks, which mostly only taste extremely sweet and chemical.
  • Especially at Store Bay I found a well-stocked wine list in the restaurants, mostly Californian brands.

nightlife

Most Tobagonians go to bed early, often around 9:30 p.m. As a result, the nightlife is mostly reduced to the hotels and a few restaurants / bars that are open a little longer.

security

Crime is not extremely high on the island. Valuables should, however, be deposited in the hotel safe. Warnings are given against taking hitchhikers into traffic.

respect

climate

JanFebMarchAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec  
Mean highest air temperature in ° C303031313231313131313130O30.8
Average water temperature in ° C272626272727282829292827O27.4
Rainy days in the month108671218171715171512Σ154

The months from January to May are considered the dry season, June to December the rainy season. The annual mean of the precipitation is 2000 mm. (for comparison: Berlin approx. 600 mm)

Cyclones

The island is so far in the south of the Caribbean that it is outside the cyclone belt. Due to the change in the global climate, however, one or the other storm comes very close to the island and their foothills can cause damage on the island. After 1847 and 1963, hurricane “Ivan” moved from the Atlantic in September 2004 over the island of Grenada into the Caribbean Sea. The foothills of this severe storm covered some house roofs on Tabago, knocked down trees and buckled electricity pylons. Falling trees caused a death in the vicinity of Bethel.

literature

Maps

  • Tobago, 1: 50,000. Mapping & Control, Lands & Surveys Division, Ministry of Planning & Mobilization, Government of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago.

Web links

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