Castara Retreats v's Naturalist Beach Resort

[Kayla Aspinall]

Our holiday to Tobago in June has had to be cancelled. However, we are not going to let this set back stop us from coming to Tobago later on this year or early next year. Our original choice was Toucan Inn, but after reviewing our needs and spending endless hours on here researching places to stay, have decided to stay somewhere in Castara. We have a short list of about 4 properties and am trying to narrow down further. Can anyone help us with the differences between the above two properties?

We are a couple travelling without our kids looking for peace, tranquility, on the beach (or pretty close), nice accomodation.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Having read Paul Tallets review of Naturalist, it sounds lovely and the Marlin Suite gorgeous but perhaps over budget. Steve's very informative review of Castara Retreats certainly brought it to the forfront of our short-list.

Kayla and Stu

[Paul Tallet]

I don't want to seem biased ... so I will be as brutally honest as I can be.

I guess the Castara Retreats would be the best place if you are looking for privacy, views (from the top of the world), comfort/luxury.

The pitfalls to the Retreats is the steep slope I guess (I know it is not far to walk to the village but it is steep) and you are not really in the village (i.e.; it is just outside of the village ... but that could be a good thing for some). Although it seems close to the sea, it is not on the beach and as I said, there is a steep hill.

With the Naturalist you have less privacy because alot of people pass by. But if you like being part of the local buzz then I say it is a good place to be ... nearer the village facilities and right next to the beach.

The Sea View Porch could be an option if the Blue Marlin (which is on the beach) is too expensive for your budget.

Just up the road from the Naturalist is the Blue Mango ... very comfortable, lovely views, but I have a sense that their prices may be too high for you too.

Another option is Alibaba's Sea Breeze right over on the far side of Heavenly Bay ... nice neat rooms with good views and right above the beach ... at a price I reckon you can afford.

I cannot recall any other places right by the beach but you could try other options in Charlottesville.

Hope this helps

Regards

[M Mcgregor]

I would definately go for castara retreats. It is very near the village and just above the beach , via a path down the bank. The garden, deck and birds are lovely. Tho `Osprey now has the bigger terrace,the view from Pelican is open over the sea. If you were on the beach you would not have the view, the garden or the birds to the same extent . To walk into the village to restaurants takes no time. Having toured the island we tought Castara was much nicer than the Store Bay area .

[Joanne Green]

As Paul says, the Blue Marlin villa may be a bit too pricy for you. We stayed in the room called Kingfish, which has the sea-view porch attached. We loved it! It wasn't noisy at all, and we got to meet a lot of people as they made their way to either the Cafe Delight or the beach. And it's only $US55 per night in the high season!! Such a bargain!

[PaulineC]

Hello Kayla

What a dilemma; I am sure you would have a great time whichever you choose. Like Paul, I will try to be unbiased. There are some quite distinct differences (having rechecked the websites). Both get consistently good reviews.

Castara Retreats: Wonderful views and position. Each apartment has a lovely outside sitting area. Gardens with places to relax. Teeming with birdlife. The unique building style makes you feel you really are "living in the landscape". Quiet location - short walk to village centre and beaches. Quite a steep path up from the road to access.

Naturalist is likely to give you more of a feel of being in the hub of village-life and more interaction with local people. Likely to be noisier (more roosters!) but livelier. TV and a/conditioning available. Very close to the beach - ideal for the early morning swim. Also, other than the Blue Marlin suite, the accommodation is cheaper than Retreats, so more spare cash for rum punches!

Paul has mentioned some alternatives. We met people from most accommodation in the village and all were very happy (but then they were staying in Castara). One couple we met (snorkelling in Heavenly Bay) were staying at the Beach House for the second year running. This accommodation is right on the beach and might be worth checking out.

For us, Castara Retreats was perfect and we loved it.

Pauline

[Paul Tallet]

I am not 100% sure, but I thought the Beach House is part of the Blue Mango?

[Steve Wooler]

No, most certainly not, Paul.

[Paul Tallet]

Sorry ... I actually walked past it ... I remember now ... ... and sorry I forgot to mention it in my post above.

[Kayla Aspinall]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Castara really sounds inviting and just what we are looking for. We are thinking that we may do a multi stay holiday as we can't make up our mind. We fancy staying in another part of the island for contrast and after reading some of Steves reviews like the look of Top O' Tobago and Mount Hay Retreat. It's a good thing we are in no rush to book or this could cause a nightmare. So, more looking, researching and decisions to be made. Of course some of you will say just come back and do another area, this is true but we still want to sample more than just one part of Tobago. My hubby Stu is giddy at the prospect of catching his very own fish to eat, he's an avid fisherman.

Back to the drawing board , but thanks for making it easier with this site Steve or we'd have probably ended up in an All Incl resort...........yuk!

Regards,
Kayla

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Kayla

I know - isn't it all a dilemma. The only thing I can say is that I can thoroughly recommend moving about. It's such a small island that, frankly, we find optimum enjoyment moving on every five to seven days. Regardless of where you say - whether it be at the biggest hotels or smallest guesthouse, we find that dining in the same restaurants tends to pall after a week. Move on and you'll have a new selection.