Castara_Baking - Old Time Baking, Old Time Flavor

By Brian Ramsey

What is so special about baking in Castara to warrant an article encouraging people to visit? The answer is an aroma and taste that can only be obtained by truly old style baking methods.

Castara is on Tobago’s Leeward coast shortly before Englishman’s Bay. There are different routes to Castara depending upon where you are staying in Tobago. If in the Charlotteville area you simply take the North Coast Road, going through Parlatuvier and continuing on to Castara. Visitors in Roxborough can use the Roxborough Parlatuvier Road and turn south at Parlatuvier. Those who are holidaying along Tobago’s south west coast can drive using the Grafton Road to get to Plymouth and then using the Arnos Vale Road to go to Moriah and on to Castara. Vacationers in Scarborough have a variety of routes to get to Moriah and then proceed to Castara. Whichever route you use to get to Castara it is a scenic drive along hillsides with sometimes distant views of a blue sea and other times beaches close by that make you want to stop and immerse yourself in the water. Along the way you pass through villages where houses seem to cling to hillsides and little children play in the streets.

Castara is a small village clustered around a picturesque bay of blue green water gently lapping onto a beach of golden sand. The small houses in the village climb the hillside and interspersed among them are rustic guesthouses and local restaurants. Each day the fishermen land their catch on the beach and if you are lucky you can see them roast a few on galvanise sheets over a wood fire. A short walk away from the village is a small waterfall and pool where refreshingly cool water invites you to soak your cares away.

No visit to Castara however would be complete without viewing and tasting the products baked there. In this village you can get locally baked breads (including a delicious pumpkin bread), cakes, sweetbread, and coconut drops (these are so soft and moist that they break apart just using your fingertips and fill your mouth with flavour).

What is the secret – an old time dirt oven that uses a wood fire, dough wrapped in wet banana leaves and preparation methods developed over years. These delicious products are baked by a group of senior citizens who have been baking with this method for decades. The oven is located just off the main road across a small stream and directly in front of the beach. You can witness the entire process from the firing of the oven to the placement of the dough to the removal of the finished product that fills the air with a wondrous aroma. Locals and visitors alike come to Castara from surrounding areas to purchase and observe a baking method that is now rarely seen.

Spend the day watching the baking process, bathe in the sea, refresh yourself in the waterfall, have lunch at one of the local restaurants. Be forewarned however, if you want to purchase some to the baked products, come early to place your order because all are so delicious they are sold almost the moment they come out of the oven and the baking is only done on Thursdays and Saturdays.

Bacolet - The forgotten Beach of Tobago

During the 1950's to the 1970's Scarborough was the main center for tourist activities in Tobago. The Beaches surrounding Scarborough such as Bacolet, Rockly and Little Rockly were some of the main attractions for persons visiting Tobago. Indeed Bacolet held pride of place among all beaches in Trinidad and Tobago. Bacolet was the scene for the 1957 movie, Fire Down Below starring Robert Mitchum, Edric Connor, Jack Lemmon and Rita Hayworth. Bacolet Beach was also used for filming the 1957 Hollywood movie, Heaven Knows Mr Allison, with Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr. In 1960, Bacolet Beach was used for filming the Walt Disney movie, Swiss Family Robinson. It has also been reported that the Queen of England and Mitch Jagger slept at the hotel overlooking Bacolet Beach (although separately of course).

From the late 1970's however the center of tourist activity shifted to the Crown Point area and Bacolet Beach became the forgotten beach of Tobago. However as discerning Tobago beach goers know, being a forgotten beach means less crowds and therefore more room on the beach to enjoy oneself.

Bacolet Beach is a small bay bounded by two headlands and at low tide these headlands are perfect for beachcombing among the rocks. During the low tide, the flat nature of the beach is seen. The grey brown sand provides a perfect complement to the blue green water of the Atlantic ocean. The overall appearance of Bacolet Beach is that of a tropical paradise. The green leaves of the coconut palms swaying in the breeze stand out against the blue sky and there is the interplay of the water with its flecks of white foam on the sand. Backing the shore is a mixture of coconut and almond trees and nestled within the grove of trees is a small beach bar and restaurant. The wide wooden verandah of the bar beckons you to come in and have a drink or something to eat with a choice of sitting in the shade or enjoyng the sun on the wooden deck. Among the trees you can rent a lounge chair or spread a towel and snooze the afternoon away in the solitude of this beach.

Getting to Bacolet Beach is fairly easy. You simply go up Main Street and turn onto Baclolet Road (the former Windward Road). You proceed along Bacolet Road, going past Gun Bridge until you see the sign for Bacolet Beach at the side of the road. The drive along Bacolet Road shows the prominence that Bacolet formerly had as there are numerous buildings that reflect the style of old homes of the wealthy.

If you want to enjoy this pocket sized piece of Tobago beach heaven, there are 118 concrete steps from the road to the beach.

Fort_King_George

Fort King George is a commanding presence overlooking Scarborough, Tobago and definitely one of the places of interest on this Caribbean island. This historical attraction is one of the places that every visitor to Tobago should visit as it is the island's best preserved historical monument.

Although Scarborough is the capital of Tobago, Fort King George was not always the main defensive point for the town. Up to 1771, the British troops in Tobago were quartered at Fort Granby in Barbados Bay, however given the distance from Scarborough (approx 6 1/2 miles) and the poor land communications at the time, a decision was taken to construct barracks at Scarborough Hill. By May 1781, some barracks had been constructed. In June 1781, the French attacked and captured Tobago from the British. The French added to the buildings on Scarborough Hill and named the fortification Fort Castries but their main fortification was on Morne Cotton to the northeast of the town at a height of 800 feet. Today Morne Cotton is known as French Hill or French Fort and houses several telecommunication towers. On 14th April 1793, the British landed at Great Courland Bay and recaptured Tobago from the French.  From 1793, the main British Troops were stationed on Scarborough Hill and the fortifications came to be called Fort King George, while Fort Granby fell into disuse. From 1797 to 1854 structures were added to the fort largely because of a fear of French attack. In January 1854, British troops were removed from Tobago.

Today Fort King George sits at a height of 450 feet above sea level welcoming all to visit and remember the past while admiring the panoramic view of Scarborough, southern Tobago, the east coast and the central hills.

The focal point of the fort however is the refurbished barrack guardhouse which now houses the Tobago Museum. One of the aspects of Tobago’s past that is not often recognised is that Tobago had a significant Amerindian culture. Part of the reason the Amerindian influence is not as strong in Tobago is that in 1606 the Spanish settlers in Trinidad were uncomfortable with having a powerful Amerindian people so close and they attacked Tobago with the intention of wiping out the Amerindians who lived there and taking the women and children to be slaves in Trinidad. In the museum there are numerous Amerindian artifacts (tools, weapons, artefacts) that have been found across Tobago with some dating back to 2500 B.C. The Tobago Museum also displays many military artifacts reflecting the military history of Tobago, which changed hands 30 times as the European powers fought over the island. The museum which is open from 9am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday also has a good collection of African art, reflecting the slave history of Tobago's population.

Fresh_or_Salt

Fresh or salt is a familiar cry uttered by Trinidad peanut vendors, however "fresh or salt" takes on a different meaning in the island of Tobago. There is no denying that beautiful beaches abound in Tobago with warm blue salt water gently lapping on the shores. What is sometimes not recognized is that Tobago has many waterfalls with cool clear fresh water falling into pools that invigorate both the body and the mind. So that Fresh or Salt is a real choice in Tobago.

Many of Tobago’s waterfalls are close to the road so that it is a short hike to visit them. One of the easiest waterfalls to view is the Craig Hall Waterfall. This two-tiered waterfall is just off the road between Mason Hall and Mesopotamia and visible from the road. The first tier falls into a large bathing pool that seems like a tub hewed from the rock. The water then spills over the side of the pool and cascades down the solid rock face into the river below. There is a concrete walkway leading to an area facing the cascade, with benches, croton plants, bamboo and natural vegetation, which is perfect for quiet contemplation.

Another waterfall that is easy to visit is the Castara waterfall on the southwestern edge of Castara village. This idyllic little waterfall is easy to find, as you simply enter River Road, go to the football field, walk across the field and the follow river upstream. A clearly defined track runs along the edge of the river, at times crossing back and forth across the river. As you walk along, clean water runs down and little fish lazily swim in the pools. During the short ten-minute walk you cross through small agricultural holdings with banana and cocoa. Along the way Jacamars regally stare from low branches and Hermits dart across the stream visiting stands of heliconia on the hillsides while other hummingbirds flit among the high branches of the immortelle trees.

If your Tobago journeys take you along the Windward Road on the Atlantic side of the island, the Rainbow Waterfall is yet another of Tobago’s easily visited fresh water delights. A turn off at Goldsborough Bay and then a 1.5 mile drive along a road that has potholes but is navigable brings you to Rainbow Nature Resort. From there a short 20 minute walk through countryside that is beautified with ginger lilies, heliconias, and majestic bamboo canopies, while butterflies, lizards and kingfishers keep your company, brings you to Rainbow Waterfall. There you can revive your spirits at the sight of a rainbow dancing in the water’s spray.

Further along the Windward side lies the quiet village of Kendal. Here a walk through undulating countryside along the banks of a quiet stream leads to Lamy Falls. Spreading as it runs down the rock face, the water plunges into a deep pool below.

The most visited waterfall in Tobago is Argyle waterfall on the outskirts of Roxborough. Here an easy 20 minute hike along the Argyle River brings you to Tobago's highest waterfall, where the water tumbles 54m (175ft) in a series of stepped cascades. You can wade in the pool at its base and totally immerse yourself in the refreshing coolness. Or climb the path that leads to the second and third pools. Whatever you plan to do at Argyle be sure to walk with a camera as it is a breathtaking sight.

If you want to expend more energy in getting to a waterfall, two of the waterfalls that require some effort to reach are the Parlatuvier Waterfall and the Highland Waterfall. Parlatuvier, on Tobago’s Leeward coast, is a short drive after Castara and is a small village with a magnificent deeply indented bay. The hike to the waterfall, while more difficult than many of the others, passes through undisturbed natural habitats teeming with wildlife. Starting in the village on the banks of a river in which river mullet and crayfish dart while herons scurry about, you ascend along a boulder-strewn river that grows in steepness. Eventually arriving at a tall waterfall that spreads across the stone face of the ridge and is framed on either side by rich tropical greenery.

The Highland Waterfall between Les Coteaux and Moriah is an uphill climb best undertaken by those who are fit and accompanied by a guide. The effort though leads to a beautiful waterfall where the water crashes from a height into the stream below.

Fresh or Salt, well in Tobago you do not have to choose, you can combine fresh and salt and have them both in the same day.

To learn more about Tobago, visit our other Tobago Pages: