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.
