Question for Back Bay

[Katrin]

Hello,

We will spend our vacation this year again on Tobago. We travelled there already in 2003 and 2005 and loved this island very much. Now I want to ask in this forum if it is already dangerious to visit and snorkel at the Back Bay because this bay is so nice.

Last time we were mugged there 2 times, once from 2 masked boys with a knive and machete. But we were 3 couples and were not so afraid only shocked. So they fled. They also punctured the tires of our car which was parked on the left side of the bay.

If somebody can give me information, please do it.

Thank you in advance and have best regards from

Katrin,
Germany

[Steve Wooler]

Hello Katrin

Welcome aboard!

Yes, Back Bay (Mount Irvine) is a truly beautiful beach. However, as you know, it is surrounded by scrubland and hidden from public eye and has no permanent lifeguard or other 'authority' presence. I haven't heard of any indcidents other than those already reported within this forum - but I have no doubt that there's more than a few 'likely lads' who will give it a try if they think they can get away with it. They just dissapear into the scrub and nobody can see or find them. My advice continues to be as stated in our Beaches listings - avoid this beach unless going in a large group.

[GervaisAlkins]

Hey,
I concur with Steve's advice, avoid going on Back Bay unless in a large group. Also I've always advised people not to go there with large sums of money and electronic devices. Back Bay (in my opinion) is one of Tobago's most beautiful beaches but due to it's isolation and the network of footpaths bodering the beach this makes it an easy target for bathers with their guard down. I once witnessed a robbery on this beach and tried to persue the thief but he steathly disappeared into the bushes. And also know about a few others that have occured there.
I have friends who still go there very often and know many people who've never had a problem there and but they make sure to park their vehicles on the main road, go in large groups or to go on days when there's also other large groups present. As a local I do go there on my own and I do take friends there but I just go with a towel, snorkeling equipment, body-surfing fins and some water. And I leave my belongings on the sand, not near the foliage.
Yes, this may seem excessive but this is just one of those places I think caution must not be thrown to the wind and you have to be head smart about. It's such a shame though since it's such a magnificent beach.
Oh yeah, also the beach break can get very rough between the months of November to March and if the sea is rough on other beaches do not go to Back Bay. Hope this helps.

[Katrin]

Thank you for infos. I think we will go there again and enjoy the beach.

Best regards,

Katrin

[Katrin]

Hello,

We have enjoyed our vacation on Tobago for 10 days now and were already 2 times on the Back Bay. We are really surprised, that now there the beach was cleaned, and it is more beautiful at last time in 2005.

The sand is so fine, the coral riff has increased for the last five years at the left time of the rocks and it looks like a garden with fishes.

Today we snorkeled with 3 Mantas (!) for about 2 hours, they really played with us and swam around our group. We could them really fondle. They came again and again and swum around us, it was so amazing.

I wanted to tell you, that we felt there very good on the beach and were not afraid. We also met an security guard.

Have best regards from Tobago,

Katrin