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There is a natural magic about the Blue Waters Inn. Set in its own lovely cove in the far north-east of Tobago, just outside the town of Speyside, it is known for its scuba diving and birdwatching, both of which are among the finest in the whole Caribbean. But with just 38 rooms and an extremely pretty setting right on the shore it is also small and friendly, ideal for a quiet and tranquil escape. Blue Waters Inn is not high Caribbean luxury, but it is a trusty Tobago Inn.
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KEY FEATURES
| Top Tobago hotel for diving in Tobago and Tobago birding, 46 acres natural landscape, 38 rooms and some cottages with self-catering, on 400 yards of beach, 5 star PADI dive centre, massage, yoga. Glass bottom boat and deep sea fishing trips also available. |
STYLE
| Classic Caribbean beach club, modern shorefront buildings, a little rustic |
CLIENT PROFILE
| Scuba divers, birdwatchers, some groups, but also independent travellers heading somewhere quiet and remote without spending a fortune |
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Blue Waters Inn is a delightful Caribbean escape. Set on a lovely golden sand beach in a cove in the remote north-east of Tobago, reached by roads that clamber over headlands and wind through villages, it takes a certain determination to get to. But the reward is utter tranquillity in an extremely pretty tropical setting. Blue Waters Inn is known mainly for its activities. The scuba diving and the bird-watching, both right on the doorstep, are among the finest in the Caribbean. But Blue Waters Inn is also a lovely, unpretentious place to drop the pace of a hectic life a bit and to find tropical tranquillity. It is not at the cutting edge of Caribbean style by any means - it is relatively simple and a little bit rustic - but it is a lovely place to while away time relaxing among the sea grape and sea almond trees that line the shorefront, where small waves wash constantly in the background. Sandpipers and ruddy turnstones twitter along the sand, dodging the waves, against a backdrop of offshore islands. Blue Waters Inn is an excellent Caribbean experience, a delightful, natural Tobagonian retreat.
The inn is ranged along about 400 yards of beachfront in the extremely pretty Batteaux Bay, which is framed inland with soaring headlands and offshore by islands that protect the bay from the Atlantic Ocean. The approach to Blue Waters Inn itself is delightful. After Speyside you turn off the main road past the shell of an old stone building and its waterwheel that are gradually being reclaimed by the rampant Tobagonian undergrowth. You clamber over a headland - from where you get your first view of the inn’s bay and its bottle green water – and from there you descend an extremely steep road to the hotel reception area. The remoteness reinforces the feeling of magical tranquillity.
Entering covered reception, you will find the offices to your right and the dining room on the left, but the delight of Blue Waters is the beach straight ahead. It is backed by sea almonds, sea grapes and palms, and right ahead there is a small sitting deck with parasols, the Mot Mot Deck . The accommodation runs along the shorefront in both directions, rooms one way, above and then beyond the delightful Shipwreck Bar, and the other just a few bungalows.
All the rooms look out towards the sea, through the hefty branches of the sea almond trees. The resort dates from the 1960s but for all the concrete the buildings have an authentic Caribbean charm. Inside, the rooms are light, bright and comfortable, with a base of white, wicker furniture and splashes of tropical colour in the fabrics.
Many guests come to Blue Waters to scuba dive and to watch birds. The scuba diving is right on property. Aquamarine Dive keeps their scuba shop at the end of the jetty at the top end of the bay. The diving in this area of Tobago is quite ‘advanced’, largely because of the strong currents. There are some sheltered areas in the region, but to get the best of it you need to be comfortable in tricky water.
You don’t actually have to leave the premises to experience some of Tobago’s fantastic birdlife. It comes to you. Blue Waters Inn’s logo is a blue crowned mot mot, which you will very likely see flying around the property. The usual way to see the birdlife is through one of the (excellent) local guides. Blue Waters usually use Newton George. There are also plenty of other activities available, from mountain biking and kayaking off premises to yoga, which takes place on the waterfront deck just below Reception. Batteaux Bay is sometimes used by yachts. See here for details of yachting services.
There are two islands directly offshore opposite Blue Waters Inn, Little Tobago and Goat Island, which rise steep sided and furred with tropical green out of the sea. One has a mysterious looking house, a private villa. There is talk of Ian Fleming writing James Bond novels there. Unfortunately the story is fanciful and there is no evidence that he ever did.
If he never did, he should have, because the whole area is ideal as a writer’s retreat. The tranquil atmosphere of Blue Waters is definitely conscious. There are no televisions in the rooms, not even phones (except in the bungalows). There is one central games room, with a satellite television and internet connection, but the aim of the place is to offer calm and quiet. There are moments of activity as groups pass through, chatting animatedly on their return from a hike or a dive, and in the bar in the evening (which can be quite lively at the height of the season, but then the atmosphere subsides and you are left with tropical tranquillity once again.
And this is Blue Waters Inn’s charm. It is has the grace of the Caribbean of times’ past. It has an unpretentious authenticity that attracts divers and bird-watchers of course, but also has a lovely, classic Caribbean setting, making it ideal as a retreat as well.
Stop press: A US$500,000 refurbishment programme of all guest rooms is scheduled to start 01 May 2008 and completed by 01 November 2008. All bathrooms are to be enlarged and revamped, and guest rooms will be upgraded with new furniture and soft furnishings. The work will be divided into three phases with one block of rooms closed at a time and guests accommodated in rooms farthest away from the work which will involve using powered hand tools (drilling and tile cutting). Hours of work will be 8am to 5pm from Mon-Sat. All guests staying at the hotel during 01 May-01 Nov 2008 will receive daily American breakfast (full) on a complimentary basis, plus a free a half day island tour. |
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Beach & Swimming
Blue Waters Inn is set right on the sand in its own bay, with calm water and protected swimming. The sand is golden and granular and shelves gently into the water, but the nicest feature is the line of sea almonds that stand above it, with massive tangled limbs and year-round leaves that give shade. The jetty, at the northern end of the bay, is used for tying up fishing and diving boats, but it is also good for sunbathing. The diving is well known of course, but the snorkelling is excellent too and it is possible right there, at either end of Batteaux Bay. That said the best snorkelling in the area is on the nearby reef, which can be reached on a short (organised) boat trip.
There is no swimming pool at Blue Waters Inn, but few of the guests ever miss one. |
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Sports & Recreation
The obvious sports are scuba diving and bird-watching, see below, but there are plenty of other options for activities around this area of Tobago. These include hiking, mountain-biking, with trails all over the island, and kayaking, which is best arranged out of Charlotteville. The hotel has some kayaks that you can potter around in the bay and a lighted tennis court. There are sometimes yoga sessions on the Mot Mot Deck just above the waterfront. Glass bottom boat and deep sea fishing trips are also available.
Scuba diving at Blue Waters Inn is handled by AquaMarine Dive, whose shop is at the northern end of the bay, right above the jetty. It is a PADI Gold Palm facility. They run two boats and many of their sites are just a couple of minutes from the dock. Although to get the best of the diving at this end of Tobago it helps to have some experience, they are happy to train novice divers. There are many dive sites in the area, which include some of the largest brain corals in the world (one is over 15 feet across). Other creatures that are often seen include tarpon, eagle and moray eels, turtles and nurse sharks.
Please see in the PHOTO LIBRARY for images of the superb underwater world around Blue Waters Inn.
Bird-watching is right outside your room. You will see many species in the hotel’s 46 acres of grounds. There are tours into the rainforest and other areas to watch birds (through the various guides, booked through the inn), but there are also two islands offshore with exceptional birdlife, Little Tobago (aka Bird of Paradise Island) which is visible from the hotel, and St Giles Island, which has the largest nesting colony of seabirds in the southern Caribbean, and is a 30 minute ride away. |
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Staff
The staff at Blue Waters are mostly from Speyside, which gives the inn a very nice local feel. The manager is Matt Kisler. |
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The Rooms
There are 38 rooms at Blue Waters Inn, 31 of which are standard rooms in two brightly coloured blocks with traditional Caribbean gingerbread trim. Some have connecting doors. There are also four self-catering rooms and three two-bedroom bungalows which have a kitchen and a sitting room. There is daily maid service to the rooms, but the bungalows can have staff attached. All rooms now have air-conditioning, but they retain their fans for those who would prefer natural ventilation
The rooms are decorated in bright white with brightly coloured fabrics. They have either two doubles or a king bed and they are furnished with wicker, a table, chairs and an armchair and they all have some sort of outside space. |
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Dining
There is one central dining room at Blue Waters Inn, the Fish Pot, which serves a good choice of accessible local dishes as well as the usual international fare that you would expect of a Caribbean hotel. At breakfast you will be offered saltfish and buljol for instance, at lunch local crab-backs as well as the regular burgers, and then at dinner there will always be one local speciality, perhaps a steam fish (caught right offshore) or a stew pork.
The dining room has been glassed in because of the wind at certain times of the year, and the walls are decorated with fish-abilia - nets, glass buoys and huge models of sailfish caught in the region. Guests can also dine out on the wooden deck under the sea grape trees right above the water.
As the hotel is relatively remote and because guests are likely to have all their meals in house, Blue Waters offers a full meal plan, which costs US$70 per day (although certain dishes will cost extra, lobster for instance). They offer some lean dishes for the health conscious and given adequate notice they are able to cope with any special dietary requirements.
The Shipwreck Bar is just behind the dining room and looks out to sea and the islands. |
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Weddings
Blue Waters Inn will arrange weddings to order and the hotel provides a charming setting for a Caribbean Wedding with some fantastic backdrops for your wedding photographs. |
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Rates
| | 01 Apr- 31 Oct 2008 | 01 Nov- 20 Dec 2008 | 21 Dec- 02 May 2008-09 | 03 May- 19 Dec 2009 | | MEAL PLAN | EP | EP | BP | BP | | Standard Room 1-2 persons | 107 | 115 | 240 | 140 | | Deluxe Room 1-2 persons | 130 | 130 | 290 | 190 | | One-Bedroom Bungalow 1-2 persons Two-Bedroom Bungalow 1-4 persons | 205 315 | 205 320 | 370 570 | 270 370 | | Miscellaneous Extra Adult Extra Child | 20 15 | 20 15 | n/a 15 | n/a 15 | | Meal Supplements Per person CP MAP FAP AI | 15 50 70 n/a | 15 50 70 n/a | n/a 35 60 100 | n/a 35 60 100 | All room rates are quoted in US$ per room, per night and include 10% Service Charge, and 10% Government Tax. EP (European Plan) = room only. CP (Continental Plan) = room and continental breakfast. BP (Breakfast Plan) = room and full American breakfast. MAP (Modified American Plan) = room, breakfast and dinner. FAP (Full American Plan) = room, breakfast, lunch and dinner. AI (All inclusive) = room, all meals and drinks by the glass. All meal supplements are per person, per day inclusive of the 10% service charge and a 15% Government Value Added Tax – a 50% reduction applies to meal supplements for children aged 12 years and under. All rates are subject to change without notice. Deposits: A valid credit card is required to confirm booking. If no credit card is available, a deposit of 3 nights room charge is required per room. NO SHOW BOOKINGS - There will be a full forfeiture of the entire room costs for the full number of nights booked including tax. EARLY DEPARTURES will incur a 50% charge of the full number of nights booked including tax. Cancellation Policy: Reservations cancelled 45 days prior to arrival will incur a US$50 admin charge per room which is subject to tax. WINTER – cancellations received within 31 days of arrival will forfeit all deposit amounts paid and within 14 days of arrival will incur a 50% charge for the full number of nights booked plus tax. SUMMER – cancellations received between 07-44 days prior to arrival incur a 1 night room charge per cancelled room plus tax and within 7 days of arrival a 2 night room charge per room plus tax. |
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Special Offers
Complimentary Breakfast and Island Tour
Enjoy daily American breakfast (full) on a complimentary basis, plus a free a half day island tour for all stays during 01 May-01 Nov 2008. |
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How to Book
If you wish to make further enquiries or a reservation, please use the WEB LINK or DIRECT EMAIL ENQUIRIES facility at the top of this page to make contact with Blue Waters Inn Tobago, or if you wish to telephone them, please click on TELEPHONE CONTACT to reveal the number. |
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UK Tour Operators
If you wish to book through a tour operator or travel organiser, please follow the link below.
See List of UK Tour Operators
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Locality
Blue Waters Inn is set on Batteaux Bay close to the town of Speyside in the far North-east of Tobago. It looks out towards the Atlantic but is protected by two islands, one of which, Little Tobago, is regularly visited on tours. There you will regularly see boobies, tropicbirds and the huge scissor-tailed frigatebirds that make a black arrow in the sky. Once it was known as Bird of Paradise Island because there was an imported colony of the birds form the Far East. Nearby St Giles (about 30 minutes) Island has the largest colony of seabirds in the Caribbean.
Speyside is a typically dozy Tobagonian town whose houses are scattered along the waterfront and inland, clambering up the hillsides. There are a couple of fun local restaurants there, Jemma’s Sea View, which is set on a series of tree-house decks and Redmans next door.
Charlotteville, over the (extremely steep) headland, is another classic remote Caribbean town set on a fantastically beautiful bay. There are a number of small restaurants on the bay, a beach bar and plenty of activities. There are also a couple of remote coves that can be reached from the town. It is well worth the walk across to Pirate’s Bay. |
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Meet & Greet
Blue Waters Inn is 90 minutes drive and precisely the opposite end of the island from the airport at Crown Point. Plenty of taxis are available to make the trip, but the hotel would be happy to book one for you. Expect to pay about US$45 ($60 after 9.30pm). If you need a taxi at the hotel drivers can be called from Speyside, but you should definitely book your return journey in advance. Alternatively, if you would prefer to be taken care of from the minute you arrive at the airport until the time that you leave, with a range of services that can include a personalised Concierge Service and transfers, please click here for Yes Tourism.
If you are booking through a travel organiser, it is likely that their representative will be at the airport to meet you. This service and your return airport transfers should be included in the cost of your holiday. Please check at the time of booking. |
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Getting Around
Blue Waters Inn is quite remote, so you will need transport to get anywhere, but you may be happy to call a taxi whenever you wish to go out in the area. If you are feeling adventurous and are prepared to walk over the headland to the main road then there is a fairly regular system of share-taxis that will take you to Charlotteville.
To explore farther afield, which is definitely worthwhile in Tobago – there are good beaches and restaurants at the western end of the island and along the northern shore – there are tours available or you can hire a car. If you will want one just for a couple of days then the reception at the hotel will be able to assist you. For a week or longer we recommend you book in advance via your travel organiser or direct with Thrifty Car Rentals, who will deliver to the property (though due to the distance they will charge for delivery - as they are based at the airport, it may be better to pick it up when you arrive). Vehicles should be returned at the airport or be collected from the property at a pre-arranged time on your departure day (subject to extra charge).
Be aware that at the height of the winter season, around Christmas and New Year, there can be a shortage of cars in Tobago, so you are advised to book in advance. Also book early if you want one for a week or more because the pre-booked rates can be better. |
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