Top 10 beaches in Tobago

Pigeon Point

Stretching for miles, this narrow, white-sand beach, fringed by small trees, hugs clear, blue waters. Pigeon Point Road is lined with fishing huts – some converted into restaurants – and stalls selling trinkets (calabashes and the like). Further along the peninsula there is a beach facility with cabanas, bars and a restaurant. There is a £2 entry charge to access this section, through a garden of coconut trees, but it's worth the money – it's probably the most beautiful beach in Tobago. The water is calm and warm, lifeguards patrol the sand, and a pier with a thatched roof makes for great photos.

Campbleton Bay

Just after a sign saying "Welcome to Charlotteville" – and before you start descending into the picturesque village – you'll see an overgrown patch of grass and the beginning of a path. It heads down to this secret bay – it's not even listed on most maps. On the 10-minute hike down, you'll see butterflies among the bamboo and may even spot vibrantly coloured birds such as the rufous-tailed jacamar. At the bottom is a small, heavenly beach, where you won't see another soul. Long vines hang down from towering trees; wading birds hunt fish in the river; the waves break gently on unspoiled sand.

Englishman's Bay

With a backdrop of rainforest that matches the emerald-green sea of the bay, it's surprising that Englishman's Bay is not overrun by an army of beach lovers. But golden-sand beaches such as this in Tobago are often empty: that's the beauty of the island. Approached through a cluster of almond trees, this is a quiet and secluded stretch, but – thanks to Eula's restaurant here – you don't need a packed lunch or icebox. The clear water is great for snorkelling and exploring the marine life of the rocky headland jutting away from the sand.

Parlatuvier Bay

This horseshoe-shaped beach spans the width of a charming fishing village with a French-Caribbean look thanks to the colourfully painted houses (bright pinks and turquoise) dotted along the road to the beach. It could pass for a St Lucia seaside town, in the style of Soufrière. A long jetty stretches into the sea from the centre of the beach and you'll often see local children diving off it into the deep water. Small fishing boats are anchored in the bay, listing and bobbing on the tide. From morning until lunchtime, fishermen return with their catches. More boats sit on the beach, some upturned, ready for repairs, giving a comforting feeling that this place really is a working village, not just a beach retreat.

Bacolet Bay

Walt Disney's Swiss Family Robinson was filmed here in 1960. It is a romantic driftwood-strewn beach, overlooked by the Blue Haven Hotel, which was glamorous haunt of Rita Hayworth, Robert Mitchum and other 1950s Hollywood film stars, but now encapsulates faded glory. A large beach-hut bar is set back from the sea, providing shade as well as drinks. The sea here gradually deepens, unlike some beaches in Tobago that go from shallow to deep in an instant, so taking a dip at Bacolet Bay is a relaxing experience.

Back Bay, Mount Irvine

The south-west of Tobago, close to the airport, is the tourist hub of the island, but even here it's easy to get off the beaten track. Mount Irvine's main beach is very pleasing to sun, sand and sea worshippers, but just half a kilometre north-east sits Back Bay, hidden from sight and accessed via a dirt track (or a scramble over the rocks from Mount Irvine Beach facility). First you will see a lovingly tended herb garden, then a set of wooden steps, carved from branches, descending into a grove of tall manchineel trees (attractive, but poisonous – don't touch) that shade the approach to the beach. Back Bay is tended by government-paid community workers, so the sand is always perfectly clean and the shrubbery well pruned.

Castara Bay

From the lookout at the top of the hill above Castara, you can view the village in all its glory while swallows fly around your head. Framed by velvety green hills, the long golden sands of Castara are sublime. The sea is chlorophyll green, the waves break soporifically on the beach. With justification, the locals are fiercely proud of their village – Castarans seem almost separatists from Tobago. Many people come to the island only to visit Castara, but it's not swarming with tourists and there's no hassle, just barbecued fish grills on the beach front, and long, idle days soaking up sun. You won't find jetskis or surfing here, just gentle water, perfect for swimming.

Speyside, Tyrell's Bay

On the windward coast of Tobago, where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean, the landscape becomes wild and rugged. Speyside is a fishing village with a beach stretching for about a mile. The waves are rougher on the Atlantic side, less suited to bathing, but great for diving. The views are the real highlight, however. Goat Island (where Ian Fleming is said to have owned the windswept white house visible to the naked eye above the rocks) and Little Tobago lie out to sea in the distance. Dotted along the beach front are seafood cafes, little rum shops and diving schools.

King Peter's Bay

This is a true adventurer's beach and only a handful of people ever come here. It is so eerily quiet and abandoned it recalls a time when the hidden coves of the island were navigated only by 18th-century merchant ships and pirate vessels. A black-sand beach awaits if you are prepared to negotiate the three-mile, winding road. The wild, grassy track might seem intimidating if it weren't for the odd goat tied up to graze at the side of the road. You can almost guarantee the beach will be deserted when you arrive.

Lovers' Bay

Another beach for the adventurous – and the amorous. Lovers' Bay is accessible only by boat from Charlotteville: you will need to commission a local fisherman or anyone with a boat – expect to pay around £10-20 for the round trip and be sure to arrange a pickup time or you'll be stranded. Lovers' Bay is a small but glorious cove. Crushed seashells mingle with the sand, making the beach glow pink and sparkle in the sun. It is a hidden gem.

Joshua Surtees is a former editorial researcher in the Guardian's audience department who now works for the Trinidad Guardian as a journalist.

This article was amended on 02/10/2013 to correct an error in the byline.

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