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.
Author's Update - As of April 2009, the baking on Thursdays has been changed to Wednesdays.
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 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.
Access to the fort is very easy, you simply follow Main Street into Fort Street
and proceed up the hill going past the hospital grounds to emerge in the
midst of the fort. Here you will find well manicured grounds with solid stone walls and
darkly gleaming cannons poking through the parapets, still guarding the approaches to
Tobago. Around the grounds you can see the former prisoner cells, bell tanks, officer's
mess, military cemetery and powder magazine. Across from the powder magazine is a
beautiful spot where you can sit in the shade of a large tree and soak in the visual
beauty of Scarborough's harbour. There is a functional lighthouse that was built in
1958.
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.
To learn more about Tobago, visit our other Tobago Pages:
