Castara Retreats - Review Page 5
Beaches
Castara enjoys three beaches. All three are within Castara Bay and adjacent to each other, separated only by small rocky headlands.
Castara Retreats is located above the western end of the main beach (Big Bay). The shortest route from the apartments, involves a bit of a scramble down a high bank, but takes less than three minutes. A gentler walk to the beach, via the main road and village centre, takes just 7-8 minutes. It is frankly a matter of personal opinion whether swimmers prefer Big Bay, tiny Small Bay in the middle, or Little Bay (also called Heavenly or Paradise Bay).
Although the main two beaches are good for swimming and do not shelve too steeply, the surf can run high and getting into the water can sometimes be difficult for less-than-confident swimmers. The seas run highest at, or around, the new moon. You will regularly find one bay calmer than the other. There is a limited lifeguard service and if the lifeguard is on duty, a red and yellow flag will be displayed at the entrance to the main beach, between the fishing cooperative and the public toilets. Snorkelling is quite good off Heavenly Bay beach, when conditions permit.
Security
It is a sad reflection on modern times, and the regrettable changing face of Tobago, that one needs to address issues such as personal security – or at least that readers might think that such issues need to be addressed.
Like other rural villages in Tobago, Castara is as safe as it gets. By this I mean that I put theft or general ‘risk’ here no higher than I would in any small village community here in the UK.
We didn’t know when we would arrive at Castara Retreats, so arranged for Porridge to leave the door open for us. Rather than leaving our bags in the car, I lugged everything up to Rainforest in the pouring rain. On arrival Porridge was puzzled that I hadn’t left everything in the car for him to bring up. “Nobody would know it’s there” he said. That somehow summed up Tobagonian attitude. If you put it on a plate and invite people to steal things, they will; but they can seldom be bothered to do so if it requires any effort.
Castara Retreats is thankfully not located in a secure compound with high security walls and guards on duty 24 hours a day. The mere concept would have every villager in stitches. Our problem was remembering to lock up and frankly we only did so out of respect for the owner's possessions, rather than our own. When I was busy writing, Jill never hesitated to walk down to the beach and village on her own. Yes, she found the approaches of the young local men somewhat wearing, if flattering, but a firm ‘no’ was all that it ever took. Safety is not an issue if you apply commonsense!
Conclusion
I was highly impressed by the professionalism shown by Castara Retreats owners, Steve and Sue, in the marketing of their property and by the amount of detailed information they provide to prospective guests to help them decide whether the property is ‘right’ for them. They have obviously gone to very great trouble to ensure that guests get the most out of their holiday.
Having visited the property, I am highly impressed by the honesty of Steve and Sue's marketing. They have portrayed the property accurately and without marketing hype. They obviously recognise that Castara Retreats will not be everyone’s cup of tea – but then neither would be the Coco Reef Resort or the Hilton. Their determination to paint a full and truthful picture to prospective guests is refreshing. They appreciate that it makes no sense to sell accommodation at their property to holidaymakers who wouldn't appreciate the property. Their approach is refreshing in this day and age and will inevitably lead to a very high repeat rate.
It is no wonder that the property is proving so popular and in such demand. We no longer view the rave reviews of Castara Retreats with any suspicion. Having stayed at the property, I share the enthusiasm of the authors of all those positive reports. What more can I say?
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