Scarborough on Tobago: Getting There, Harbour Info and Destinations

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Scarborough is the main town of Tobago and lies on the southwest of the island on Rockly Bay. Here you can read how to get to Scarborough from the airport and by ferry, where yachts anchor, where to shop, what winds to expect, which sailing destinations lie off Tobago and how skippers clear in at Scarborough.

Where do yachts berth in Scarborough?

In Scarborough, yachts anchor in the anchorage off the harbour of Scarborough: in open water in Rockly Bay, west of the pier and clear of the ferry route. The harbour is the island's ferry and cruise port, directly below the town centre. There are no pontoons or berths of a marina here. Customs and immigration have their offices at the harbour.

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The town climbs steeply up the hillside from the harbour. At the very top of the hill stands Fort King George, which is easy to spot from the bay. The island ferries from Trinidad and, in season, cruise ships dock in the harbour.

Arriving for the start of your trip in Scarborough

You reach Tobago by plane via the airport in Crown Point or by ferry from Trinidad, which docks directly in the harbour of Scarborough.

From ANR Robinson Airport to Scarborough

ANR Robinson International Airport is in Crown Point at the southwestern tip of Tobago, around eleven kilometres from Scarborough. Many international connections run via Piarco Airport on Trinidad. From there you fly on to Tobago in around 20 to 25 minutes, with several inter-island flights a day.

The easiest way to get from the airport to Scarborough is by taxi. The taxis wait in front of the arrivals hall and have no meter. The approved fares are displayed in the arrivals hall, and you agree the price with the driver before the journey. In Trinidad and Tobago you drive on the left, and on Tobago the speed limit is usually 50 km/h. With your foreign or international driving licence, you may drive for up to 90 days. Wearing a seat belt is compulsory, and using a phone while driving is only permitted with a hands-free kit.

By ferry, bus or hire car

The state-run inter-island ferry connects Port of Spain on Trinidad with Scarborough every day and docks directly in the harbour. The ferries are operated by the Trinidad and Tobago Inter-Island Transportation Company (TTIT). Depending on the vessel, the crossing takes several hours. As things stand (November 2026), vessels and departure times change fairly often, and individual sailings are cancelled at short notice. You should therefore allow a buffer before the start of your sailing trip. The ferry also carries cars.

On Tobago, regular buses run from Scarborough to most places on the island. There are also shared taxis and blue maxi taxis, which likewise depart from Scarborough. Since February 2026 there has been a waiting area on the corner of Gardenside Street with two air-conditioned lounges, free Wi-Fi and screens showing bus departures. Buses and maxi taxis to the east and northeast of the island leave from there.

Parking

If you arrive by hire car, you will find car parks close to the harbour: Standard’s Parking is around 400 metres from the anchorage, and the car park at the Bobtail Building around 450 metres.

Shopping for the trip

In the centre of Scarborough, around 600 metres from the anchorage, two supermarkets lie just around 50 metres apart: Viewport Supermarket and Foodtown Supermarket. You can do your shopping for the trip here on foot. By car you can also reach Cost Cutters Supermarket, around 1.5 kilometres from the anchorage.

Doctor, pharmacy and emergency services

The nearest pharmacy is about 600 metres from the anchorage: Tobago Pharmacy, right next to the two supermarkets and about 70 metres from Foodtown Supermarket. Scarborough General Hospital is east of the centre in the Signal Hill district, about 1.4 kilometres from the anchorage. In public health facilities, emergency treatment is free of charge even for visitors, while private clinics usually ask for payment in advance.

• 999: Police
• 990: Fire brigade, also for the ambulance service
• 811: Ambulance service
• Coast Guard: +1 868 634 4440, at sea VHF channel 16 as the distress and calling channel

What does the port of Scarborough offer?

The port of Scarborough is a harbour for ferries and cruise ships, with offices of the authorities where yachts clear in on arrival in Tobago. There is no marina with pontoons, electricity or water at the berth.

Feature	Details
Location	Rockly Bay in the southwest of Tobago, below the town centre
Type	Ferry and cruise port, no marina
Mooring	at anchor in Rockly Bay west of the pier, outside the ferry route
Einklarieren	yes, Port Health, Immigration and Customs with offices at the harbour, Mon–Fri 8am–4pm
Second port of entry on Tobago	Charlotteville in the northeast
Ferry	daily to Port of Spain on Trinidad
Airport	ANR Robinson International in Crown Point, around 11 km
Facilities	two supermarkets and a pharmacy in the centre, around 600 m
Parking	car parks around 400 m from the anchorage

Equipment

The ferry terminal and the offices of Port Health, Customs and Immigration are at the harbour. Next to the Port Health office there are bins marked “Public Health”: this is where you dispose of your onboard rubbish on arrival, double-bagged. Supermarkets and a pharmacy are in the centre, above the harbour.

What is the weather like for sailing in Scarborough?

Around Tobago the trade wind usually blows from an easterly direction. In the dry season from January to May it is moderate to fresh, while in the rainy season from June to December it is much lighter, but there is considerably more rain.

The hurricane season runs from June to November and is most active from August to October. Trinidad and Tobago lie on the southern edge of the hurricane belt, but Tobago is hit by storms more often than Trinidad.

In strong winds and heavy seas, the Trinidad and Tobago weather service issues colour-coded warnings, for example for high seas or strong winds. Yellow stands for a moderate risk: there may be disruption in places. When such warnings are in force, the weather service advises small boats to limit their trips.

Which sailing destinations can you reach from Scarborough?

From Scarborough, the bays at the southwest tip of Tobago are only a short sail away, while Charlotteville in the northeast is a day’s sail against the trade wind. You reach Grenada and Trinidad across open water. The distances are rounded distances over water on the usual course; for precise planning, refer to the chart.

• Store Bay and Pigeon Point: around 8 nm, round the southwest tip near Crown Point
• Charlotteville in Man of War Bay: around 20 nm along the east coast, around 30 nm via the north coast
• Chaguaramas on Trinidad: around 65 nm
• St. George’s on Grenada: around 85 nm

Store Bay and Pigeon Point lie at the southwest tip of Tobago, close to the airport at Crown Point. From Scarborough you sail west along the south coast and round the point at Crown Point. For crews, this makes a short first leg after clearing in. Buccoo Reef, with Bon Accord Lagoon and the surrounding mangroves, is designated a Restricted Area.

Charlotteville lies in Man of War Bay at the northeast end of Tobago and is the island’s second port where you can clear in. The shorter route runs along the east coast against the trade wind, the longer one round the southwest tip and along the north coast.

Trinidad lies south-west of Tobago. Chaguaramas is on the north-west peninsula of Trinidad. Trinidad is hit directly by storms less often than Tobago. Some owners keep their yachts there during the hurricane season.

Grenada is a country in its own right and lies north-west of Tobago. You clear in at a port of entry there, for example at Port Louis Marina in St. George’s. You can read more in the profile of the Port Louis Marina on Grenada.

What can you do on a day in port in Scarborough?

Scarborough’s fort and old buildings stand on the hillside above the harbour, and you can reach the island’s beaches by taxi or hire car.

• Fort King George: The British built the fortress in the late 18th century at the very top of the hill above the town. Surviving features include the prison, barracks, officers’ mess and many cannons. A museum in the fortress tells the history of Tobago.
• House of Assembly: Like several buildings in the town, this restored Georgian building dates from the early 19th century.
• Trip to the southwest tip: by taxi or hire car, it is about eleven kilometres west to the beaches of Store Bay and Pigeon Point near the airport. Store Bay has calm water for swimming, lifeguards, a craft market and food stalls serving island cuisine such as curry crab and dumplings. There is an entrance fee for the beach in Pigeon Point Heritage Park, with its famous jetty under a thatched palm roof: TT$20 (as of November 2026).

For skippers: clearing in, arriving and marine weather in Scarborough

If you are sailing to Tobago from abroad, you first head for Scarborough or Charlotteville and clear in there. Since October 2022 this has been possible again without first clearing in at Trinidad.

Clearing in at Scarborough

The Tobago House of Assembly, the island administration of Tobago, prescribes this sequence for yachts arriving directly in Tobago (as at November 2026):

• Head first for the port of Scarborough or Charlotteville, and do not call at any other place on Tobago beforehand.
• Before arrival, inform Port Health at the harbour (Port Health Unit) of your arrival day and approximate time, by email at porthealth.tobago@gov.tt or by phone on +1 868 639 1433.
• At the Port Health office at the harbour, present your float plan and the Maritime Declaration of Health. Once you are cleared, you will receive two documents for Immigration and Customs.
• Report to the Immigration Division office at the harbour. The whole crew comes along with their passports, and you fill in five arrival forms there, including the crew list and the health declaration.
• At the Customs and Excise Division office at the harbour, present the documents from Port Health and Immigration and complete the Marine Pleasure Craft Declaration (PLC). You can reach Customs in Scarborough on +1 868 639 2415.

Port Health, Immigration and Customs in Scarborough are staffed from Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm. Outside these hours, clearing in is possible on request for a fee, starting at TT$100 at Port Health. Immigration only charges fees after closing time and on public holidays. At Customs you pay a boarding fee of TT$264.20 and navigation fees of TT$50 (as of November 2026). If you do not report on arrival, you must expect penalties. If you have weapons on board, declare them to Customs on arrival. False or missing information given to Customs is considered a serious offence.

Calling at bays, arriving from Trinidad and clearing out

If you want to visit further bays on Tobago after clearing in, you apply to Customs for permission for “bay hopping”. For the bays on the windward side of the island, only the port of Scarborough can grant it; for the bays on the north coast, only Charlotteville can.

If you are coming from Trinidad, you tell the port of entry on Trinidad beforehand that you are sailing to Tobago, and you receive a provisional certificate there for the next port. If Port Health on Trinidad has already cleared you, the visit to Port Health on Tobago is not required. In Scarborough or Charlotteville you then go to Immigration and Customs. The same procedure applies if you move between Scarborough and Charlotteville.

To clear out, you go to Customs at the harbour and present the PLC declaration you completed on arrival. You leave Tobago from a port of entry, unless Customs has issued you a certificate for a different port.

Arriving in the harbour

Scarborough harbour is designed for ferries and cruise ships. The inter-island ferries from Port of Spain come and go daily, and in the cruise season large ships join them. To anchor, head into Rockly Bay west of the pier, outside the ferry route. Keep clear of the ferry berths and their approaches.

Which marine weather forecast applies in Scarborough?

The official marine weather forecast for Tobago is issued by the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service (Wetterdienst von Trinidad und Tobago). The forecast gives sea state and wave heights separately for open water and for sheltered areas, first for Trinidad, Tobago and the southern Windward Islands, then for the rest of the Lesser Antilles. The weather service also publishes tide times for Scarborough and, when necessary, issues warnings for high seas and strong winds.

Sailing trips from Scarborough on Törnfinder

Offers in the whole region can be found under Sailing in the Caribbean, all dates and sailing areas in the trip overview.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Scarborough from the airport?

About eleven kilometres. ANR Robinson Airport is in Crown Point on the south-western tip of Tobago, and taxis wait outside the arrivals hall. Agree the fare before the journey; the approved fares are posted in the arrivals hall.

Is there a marina in Scarborough?

No. Scarborough harbour is a ferry and cruise port with no pontoons for yachts. Yachts anchor in Rockly Bay west of the pier and clear in at the harbour.

How do I get from Trinidad to Scarborough?

Take the daily ferry from Port of Spain, which berths directly in Scarborough harbour, or the domestic flight from Piarco to Crown Point. Depending on the vessel, the crossing takes several hours; the flight takes around 20 to 25 minutes.

Where can I buy provisions in Scarborough for the sailing trip?

In the centre, about 600 metres from the anchorage: the Viewport Supermarket and the Foodtown Supermarket are only about 50 metres apart, with the Tobago Pharmacy right next door. By car, you can reach the Cost Cutters Supermarket, about 1.5 kilometres from the anchorage.

Can I clear in at Scarborough?

Yes. Alongside Charlotteville, Scarborough is one of the two places on Tobago where yachts clear in. You notify Port Health in advance by email or phone, and then go to Port Health, Immigration and Customs. All three have an office at the harbour and are staffed from Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm; outside these hours, clearing in costs a fee.

Is there a hospital in Scarborough?

Yes. Scarborough General Hospital is east of the town centre, about 1.4 kilometres from the anchorage. The nearest pharmacy is about 600 metres from the anchorage, and you can reach the emergency services on 811 or 990.

When is the best time for a sailing trip from Tobago?

From January to May is the dry season, with mostly strong trade winds and outside the hurricane season. From June to December the wind is lighter and there is more rain, and from June to November is hurricane season.