On Tobago, cocoa can be discovered from two perspectives: as a crop grown in the green hills of Roxborough and as part of the island’s more recent history. Tobago Cocoa Estate is located there, overlooking the Atlantic. It grows a cocoa variety known as “fine” or “flavour” cocoa, which is used to make chocolate. Here, the landscape, the raw material and its use come together in a topic for travellers interested in local products and where they come from.

The cocoa industry also has a notable connection to more recent history: it was revived in 2005 through the initiative of young Tobagonian sommelier Duane Dove. This offers a different perspective from the cultivation at the estate. Together, these two details tell different aspects of cocoa on Tobago: the revival of the industry and a cocoa variety used to make chocolate.

Fishing and community practices

Tobago’s fishing communities also reveal a communal side of the island. In “pulling seine,” communities bring in the day’s catch using a particular method; the same practice is described as a “tradition of lending hands.” Those interested in local work and cultural practices will find a different perspective here than through cocoa: the focus is not on cultivation and processing, but on a named method of community fishing.

Festivals and historical traces

Buccoo Historical Park, a historic nature park, is located on Golden Grove Estate in Buccoo. Its remains include two water mills, a copra-drying area and an old cocoa building. These varied traces give the park more than a single historical connection: the mills, the copra-drying area and the cocoa building stand side by side as tangible remnants. Those who want to explore the island’s history can consider the park’s different features in relation to one another.

The Tobago Harvest Festival began as a religious harvest thanksgiving celebration for produce from the island’s villages. The programme described includes a morning service to bless the food and an afternoon concert featuring skits, poems and a cantata by the village choir. The description connects the festival’s religious origins with specific cultural contributions. The festival thus offers a different perspective on Tobago’s history than the architectural remains in Buccoo: here, the focus is on communal thanksgiving and a described programme of events.

The ferry connection between the islands

The Trinidad and Tobago Inter-Island Ferry Service offers daily ferry connections between Trinidad and Tobago. If you are considering visiting both main islands, this connection is a useful point of reference. Schedules may change, so check the ferry operator’s information before travelling.

Tobago in the archipelagic state of Trinidad and Tobago

Tobago is one of the two main islands of the archipelagic state of Trinidad and Tobago. The country lies in the southern Caribbean, northeast of Venezuela and south of Grenada. It covers 5,128 square kilometres and consists of the two main islands, Trinidad and Tobago, as well as 21 smaller islands. Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two main islands. This context helps place Tobago within an archipelago and situate the ferry connection between the main islands in its broader geographical setting.

Discover more destinations

Scarborough, Trinidad, Penal-Debe, Port Of Spain, Rio Claro-Mayaro, Diego Martin, Couva-Tabaquite-Talparo, Chaguanas

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