The demise of Castara

[Pete]

We recently returned from our last trip to Castara, having visited it every year for the last six. The village is being ruined. We no longer feel inclined to return.
Two years ago, our visit was spoiled by loud music from the Cascreole bar. Reports in the forum made us believe the problem was sorted and our 2009 holiday was wonderfully peaceful. It was not to last! Cascreole are now wrecking the peace and tranquillity again, and even more obviously than the first time. If we wanted Magaluf, we would have gone to Spain. What happened to the quiet, relaxed little fishing village? Sadly it is rapidly disappearing. The Cascreole are now blasting the village with loud music into the early hours of the morning. Some of it is offensive (I believe locally called ‘prerogative’ music) and I find it hard to believe that this is not intended as a direct racial insult to white visitors. There seems to be a definite increase in racism and we met visitors who claimed to have experienced insulting comments and swearing from fishermen on main beach. The owner of Cascreole apparently owns the supermarket and Angel Apartments and, surely, relies on tourism for his living. So, why does he seem to have such contempt for those who keep him in business?
To make matters worse, a new restaurant at the Blue Mango has started playing loud music into the late evening. Don’t get us wrong. We’re all in favour of entertainment. We have always enjoyed the Wednesday night music night event at the Boat House, even if over-priced for what you get, but even this has gone downhill and now seems more like a private club for loud drunken foreigners who own property in the village (sadly, including the owner of our accommodation this year).
Thanks Steve for a great site. Bye Paul, David and Gisela, who we have met, and the many other people who, until this post, were ‘lurkers’ like us but who have followed this site with great amusement and interest. Maybe one day things will change, but for the moment our instincts tell us to head back to the Tobago Cays (which is how we accidentally found mytobago in the first place). So goodbye for now!

[Amber]

HI, I am so sad to hear this about Castara. We also go there every year and plan to return. I was hoping maybe the loud music may have been worse because of Easter weekend?? Last year we stayed at Maggie's House on the Hill which was really quiet and lovely and good to be a bit away from the village but you have to not mind being quite a walk away from the beach. This time we are staying right near little bay so I fear we won't have much peace from what you say. That is truly awful news to hear that some of the local people are beginning to resent the tourists. It always seemed so friendly and relaxed. Oh well, we will report back after our trip and i am hoping for the best as had believed Castara to be a totally gorgeous place with no hassle or stress.... I am so sorry to hear of your experience.

[Paul Tallet]

Hi Pete

I am scratching my brain ... I cannot recall meeting you but then I am better with faces than names.

I am very sorry that you feel this way but I can understand where you are coming from ... you have hit a point ... but ...

You seem to be singing 2 songs ... you are suggesting that there is something racist and you are suggesting that there is too much noise ... the blame is being laid squarely with Cascreole and (more recently) Blue Mango.

I agree with both songs ... although I would clarify a few points.

I have walked along the beach in Castara and a fisherman in the Fishing Hut shouted 'White Bastard' at me as I walked by. I stopped and smiled at him but I knew he really mean't it as he stared long and hard at me ... but I still smiled and, to this day, I will still smile at him if he is still there.

I have also heard the parties in the Cascreole and they do go on until late ... so do the parties in the Boathouse and sometimes I guess the Barbecues at the Naturalist could make a noise too.

The point is ... Castara is not a resort ... Castara is a community. As such, the community is divided between those that want their life as a community and those that want people like us to invade their space as tourists/visitors.

So one the one hand, you (well, I did) have direct abuse from someone that does not want you there and then ... on the other hand, us visitors may be irritated about what could be described as attempts by certain factions of the community to create a party spirit ... or do their own thing?

Personally, I don't care ... I like the place and I am too thick skinned to concern myself about some fisherman that does not like me being there ... due to my daily activities of snorkelling and rushing round Tobago and loving it I am far too sleepy to worry about late night bling ... in fact I love that too.

The point is, I feel privileged to be there when I can be there ... it's just Tobago.

But I do try to have respect for those that live there and have to put up with people like me

Regards

[Gisela Grell]

Hi Pete,

sorry to hear that you made such bad experiences. I was on Tobago last year and there were some partys but I did not bother. We lived in a house on the hill in the middle of Castara and could see the Cascreole and hear the noise but for me that is something that belongs to Tobago and Castara. I never had bad experiences with fishermen (only with one but that's another story).
I remember one time on Tobago (two or three years ago) there was the furneral of an old men from Castara who was very well known. I know his son so I was invited to the week. There was music for about a whole week. Some days until sunrise and very loud with live singers and drums. The house with the music was right below our guesthouse. That was not nice but thats how it works on Tobago. I can not complain about the habits of a foreign culture when I go there.

Sorry, that you feel like not going back to Tobago because of your experiences.


Paul, we love it and we are addicted so we will go back again and again.

Cheers
Gisela

[Andy K]

Pete,

referring to your complaint about the loud music and wild parties, i have to tell you that both are vital parts
of the culture in Trinidad and Tobago. This basically applies to the entire Caribbean.
If you go to South America, you will find the same, just the kind of music is different.
Occasionally you may find a sticker in T&T on a car or in a shop, saying "If it is too loud, you are too old".
I agree that some of the music "imported" from Jamaica is very offensive and the lyrics may become a nuisance at times.

As Paul stated correctly, we have to acknowldege that villages like Castara are primarily communities with their
people living their lives. Not everybody is involved in tourism and those who are not, may envy the others and
give a darn what the visitors may think. A common problem in Tobago.
Some of the racial insults stem for that.

Incidents like the one Gisela mentioned (a wake for a deceased villager) are normal and have to be accepted as they are also part of the culture.
When my neigbour died some years ago, the road was clogged up with cars for days and the music didn't stop at all.
I resorted to drinking with my neigbour's relatives and the use of earplugs at night.

But i think you already found a solution for your problem: The Tobago Keys. There are numerous unpopulated islands, only accessible by boat. And even the boat boys with their pirogues are no longer allowed to harrass the "Yachties".
Just try to avoid groups of big power boats from Trinidad. They play loud music

[Brian Taylor]

gotta say something now:
there were two loud party nights at cascreole recently. it was a LOCAL lime, people on the island want to party on a beach sometimes too and love the location. don`t get me wrong, I am neither a fan of that type of music or hearing it loud into the morning. but to be fair, there was another lime planned and cancelled by dexter himself after he got complaints about the noise. so there is an open ear there...and we will definitely inform him about this thread if he did not find it himself already!
I think three or four big limes per year for locals and guests on the beach should be tolerated by visitors.

the clay kitchen had two loud nights of "grand opening" and then found a level of volume that we found very agreeable. nice music too. same thing with the boathouse where the parties only go longer is there is about 60 or more people in the place which is about the majority of the tourists in the village. sorry that your landlord did not behave to your liking, but most people who own a place here are decent people who just enjoy a drink or two at the boathouse. not drinking myself I still feel a foreigner who owns a property here has the same right to get drunk in a bar as any tourist or local...

sorry if anybody is put off by recent events, but our guests and MANY of them had little kids over easter did not make it a problem and told us that they will be back, because castara is a laid back and compared to others peaceful place.

stephanie AKA mrs alibaba

[Gisela Grell]

I totally agree with Steph!
Sorry, Pete, looks like you are the minority. I know Tobago Keys from a tour on a sailboat in 2002 and hope you will enjoy and find the right place for you.
For me it is definately Tobago and Castara
Cheers
Gisela

[Gordon H]

Just arrived in Castara (for the third time). It's still here & has not demised. Still the same relaxed atmosphere.
Re. the racist comment. Isn't this also a Caribbean thing? Everybody gets a helping & you are just as likely to hear black v black racism as you are black v white. The only reason you don't often hear explicit white v black racist comments is because it is usually implicit. I think there are examples of this implicit racism in some of the comments under the 'security' heading of the forum.
Anyway, whatever the colour of your skin the one thing it can't be is thin.

[Amber]

Back in Castara for the third time and just want to say it is more like paradise than ever before. Totally beautiful, peaceful, friendly, relaxed and wonderful . Am loving every minute!

[John Y]

Just back from two weeks in Castara. Although the Emancipation party on 1st August was, how shall we say, an experience, I would confirm that the music from Cascreole was only occasional, and the Clay Kitchen was not intrusive at all. Don't expect peace and quiet in Castara all the time though, there is always a mix of chickens, dogs, birds, cicadas, music etc etc in and around the village. For us experiencing the village in this way was what made it special.

[Paul Tallet]

Don't expect peace anywhere in Tobago ... for Chrissakes ... are we there for them or are they there for us ???

Appreciate the experience or go elsewhere ... it's your choice and not their choice ... please try to understand.

Regards

[GillMathews]

Tobago and Music are synonymous! I love it.

[SandraK]

Agree with Gill and Paul.
Tobago is a country - not an amusement park for tourists. You want great service, great food, great anything then don't visit.
For our part we love the fact, it is still a gem . Easy to find quiet areas if that's your thing. We visit Arnos Vale and noone on the beach but us - not too sure if the hotel has guests at times !
As for Castara lucky to have made friends with a family or two there and have nothing but praise for their hospitality and goodwill.
Go into our small city at night and it would do Tobago proud re. noise !
We laugh at the music which generally, being an old hippie is not my thing but each to their own I say.
Just back from a mass family get together in Cyprus - guess where I have already booked for November ?

[John Y]

Don't expect peace anywhere in Tobago ... for Chrissakes ... are we there for them or are they there for us ???

Don't worry Paul, we didn't! Just trying to make it clear to anyone thinking of visiting Castara/Tobago for the first time.

Tobago is a country - not an amusement park for tourists.

Can't agree more. Last time we went to a so called "authentic Greek fishing village" was a depressing experience I can tell you! That's why we loved Castara - not a tourist resort, but a small Carribean village which happens to have some tourists.

[Elspeth F]

I hate the title of this blog 'The Demise of Castara', we have just returned for the second time and it is beautiful, there was a big party in Big bay for the Fishermans race and it was an enjoyable and interesting experience. You just have to 'fit in'. Everyone there was there to Lime, we were there to Lime and soak up the warmth of both the people and the beauty of Castara. Yes it had the loudest sound system we had experienced since Glastonbury but we would give up Wiltshire any day to be part of and live amongst the community in Castara. All the evenings previously were both peaceful and tranquil. To be there and be part of this community is a blessing to those of us who live too fast. We shall return.From Richard and Elly

[Paul Tallet]

I don't mind the demise of Castara.

It's not for everyone ... it's for some and I am one of them.

If it is in demise, it won't suffer ... it will still be there and will still have loons like me going there most years It has a cult following.

I think Castara is perhaps a good lesson to those who have yet to learn how to enjoy a holiday

Regards