Tobago / Special Interests / Culture & Heritage

As a sleepy island hideaway, Tobago is better known for its unspoilt natural beauty and laidback ambience, but the island also bears the remnants of a rich history more reminiscent of the Windward Islands further north with its sugar and cocoa plantations. Despite being the sister island of Trinidad it doesn’t share the same mixed racial heritage, with more than 90% of its 54,000 population being of African descent. But then the two islands were only initially linked in 1889 and joined together as a republic in 1976.

In the early days, Tobago was settled by Amerindian tribes, but it wasn’t until the early 1600s that the first settlers arrived. As European powers (French, English, Dutch and even Latvians – known as Courlanders) fought for control, the island changed hands more than 30 times. This is evident from the number of forts still scattered across the island. Today, many Tobagonians are an easy-going and polite bunch who live in simple villages clustered above bays and on hillsides. Unlike other islands which have become more modernised and commercial, Tobago retains some of its gentler, old-time Caribbean atmosphere in most areas. The eastern end of the island, in particular, has a magic that few places in the Caribbean can match and the strong African influence can be seen in the folklore, superstitions, music and dance of the locals.

Tobago also stands out for the novel sport of goat racing, which takes place every Easter in the village of Buccoo and is taken very seriously by all those involved. In fact, this village claims to be the goat and crab racing capital of the world.