Charlotteville tide times

From Crown Point the drive takes approximately 1.5 to 2 hours via Scarborough and the coastal road through Speyside — approximately 55 kilometres by the most direct route. Route taxis cover the route but with limited frequency; the last return service from Charlotteville departs early afternoon on weekdays and is not reliable on weekends. Driving a rental car is the most practical option for day trips or overnight stays. The road to Charlotteville from Speyside is steep and winding through forested hillside but is paved. Water taxi between Charlotteville and Scarborough is available through local operators and cuts travel time significantly.

Pirate's Bay is a 300-metre arc of white sand beach on the Atlantic face of the northern Tobago headland, accessible on foot from Charlotteville village in approximately 20 minutes over the hill. The path is clear but steep. The beach has no permanent facilities — no lifeguard, no vendor, no toilet. The reef at the southern end of the beach provides snorkelling from shore; coral condition is good compared to the more-visited southwest coast. Swimming is possible on calm days when the Atlantic swell is below 0.5 metres; on trade wind days with 1 metre-plus swell the beach break can be powerful. The solitude of the beach is its primary quality — you are unlikely to share it with more than a handful of people on any given day.

Man O' War Bay is regarded as one of the best anchorages on Tobago's north coast. The bay faces south, protected from the northeast trade swell by the headlands on either side. The holding is sand and grass at 5 to 12 metres; the bottom is clean. Swell wraps into the bay in northerly or northwesterly swell events (rare but occasional in winter), making the anchorage rolly for short periods. Facilities in Charlotteville village include water from the village standpipe, basic provisioning from local shops, and the fish market. Clearance is at Scarborough. The anchorage is used by the Windward Islands charter circuit as a final stop before departing for Grenada or returning south.

The local fleet targets flying fish, kingfish (wahoo), red snapper, barracuda, grouper, and dolphin fish (mahi-mahi) in the Atlantic waters north and east of Tobago. Flying fish is the staple — Charlotteville's boats participate in the same fishery as the Barbados flying fish fleet, targeting the aggregations that form in the Columbus Channel in the trade wind season. The fish market at the village jetty operates when the boats return, typically between 06:00 and 09:00. The catch is sold fresh, cleaned on request, at prices that reflect the distance from Scarborough market. Cash only.

Charlotteville has a small number of guesthouses and self-catering apartments in the village, primarily run by local families. The accommodation is simple, inexpensive, and functional rather than resort-grade. The Man O' War Bay Cottages is the most established operation on the bay. Booking in advance is necessary even for modest accommodation as availability is limited. Charlotteville as a base suits travellers who want to stay in a working fishing village with beach access, away from the Crown Point resort strip. The commitment required — the drive in and out — is the natural filter that keeps Charlotteville in the condition it is.