Best Anchorages in Trinidad & Tobago
South of the hurricane belt at 10–11°N — year-round sailing with the Caribbean's most famous boatyard complex at Chaguaramas, pristine Tobago beaches, world-class manta ray diving at Speyside, and the oldest protected rainforest in the western hemisphere.
10–11°N
South of hurricane belt
TTD
Currency (USD accepted)
Year-round
Sailing season
0.9–1.5m
Gulf of Paria tidal range
Trinidad & Tobago — Critical Rules for Every Skipper
Venezuela border: Venezuela is 11km west of Trinidad. Do NOT enter Venezuelan waters under any circumstances — piracy risk is severe and well-documented in the Trinidad-Venezuela corridor. Stay firmly in T&T waters. Gulf of Paria tidal range: Unlike most Caribbean islands (0.3m tidal range), the Gulf of Paria has a 0.9–1.5m semi-diurnal tidal range. Set anchor scope for high-water depth in all Chaguaramas and northwest Trinidad anchorages. Entry requirements: Customs and immigration are mandatory on arrival — Chaguaramas (Trinidad) or Scarborough (Tobago). Q flag required until cleared. Yacht cruising permit required for T&T waters. Buccoo Reef MPA: Absolutely no anchoring anywhere on or near Buccoo Reef, Tobago — criminal offence under T&T environmental law. Access by licensed glass-bottom boat tours only. Bocas del Drago: The passages between Trinidad's northwest peninsula and Venezuela have 2–4kt currents — time passages with tidal current tables.
Sailing Regions
Chaguaramas & Northwest Trinidad
10 anchoragesChaguaramas Bay is the Caribbean's most celebrated hurricane hole and sailing service hub — home to Peake Yacht Services, IMS Boatyard, Power Boats, and the Trinidad & Tobago Sailing Association (TTSA). World-class haul-out, engineering, painting, and rigging at a fraction of North American or European prices. The anchorage in deep Gulf of Paria mud provides excellent holding year-round. The Bocas del Drago (Dragon's Mouth) chain of islands — Gaspar Grande, Monos, Chacachacare — extends northwest with increasingly wild and isolated anchorages. Scotland Bay is a dramatic, fjord-like enclosed bay alive with howler monkeys and tropical birds. CRITICAL: Gulf of Paria has an unusual Caribbean tidal range of 0.9–1.5m (most Caribbean islands have only 0.3m) — set scope for high-water depth in all Gulf of Paria anchorages.
Gulf of Paria tidal range 0.9–1.5m — set anchor scope for high-water depth. Customs + immigration mandatory at Chaguaramas on arrival. Do NOT enter Venezuelan waters (11km west) — piracy risk. Q flag required.
Explore Chaguaramas & Northwest Trinidad anchorages →Tobago Caribbean Coast
10 anchoragesTobago's Caribbean (leeward) coast runs from Crown Point in the southwest — with its adjacent international airport and port of entry — up through a series of increasingly unspoiled bays to Man-O-War Bay at Charlotteville in the northeast. Store Bay and Pigeon Point at Crown Point are busy and beautiful; Castara and Englishman's Bay further north are among the most pristine fishing village anchorages in the Lesser Antilles. Scarborough (midway along the south coast) is Tobago's administrative capital and the main provisioning port. The Buccoo Reef Marine Protected Area is a strict no-anchoring zone — access only by licensed glass-bottom boat tours. All anchorages on this coast benefit from typical Caribbean tidal range of 0.3–0.5m and NE trade wind protection.
Buccoo Reef MPA — absolutely NO anchoring; access by licensed glass-bottom boat tours only. Customs at Crown Point or Scarborough. Leatherback turtle nesting Mar–Aug on many beaches — no beach activity at night.
Explore Tobago Caribbean Coast anchorages →Tobago Atlantic & Windward Coast
10 anchoragesTobago's Atlantic (windward) coast is wild, dramatic, and exposed — suited to experienced crews seeking extraordinary destinations. Speyside Bay is world-famous as one of the Caribbean's premier dive destinations, with Atlantic manta ray aggregations (November–May) at Kelleston Drain, Angel Reef, and Japanese Gardens. Little Tobago (1.5nm offshore) is a UNESCO-recognized seabird sanctuary. Bloody Bay and King Peter's Bay on the north coast are backed directly by the Main Ridge Forest Reserve — the oldest protected forest in the western hemisphere (established 1776). These anchorages receive full Atlantic trade wind swell and are primarily suitable as day stops or overnight anchors in settled conditions only.
Atlantic-exposed anchorages — suitable only in settled conditions; monitor swell forecasts before overnight stays. Little Tobago: day visits by licensed boat only, no independent anchoring adjacent to sanctuary. Speyside dive sites: use mooring buoys at sites, do not anchor on coral.
Explore Tobago Atlantic & Windward Coast anchorages →T&T Sailing Rules — Summary
- !Entry requirements: Customs and immigration mandatory on arrival — Chaguaramas Yacht Services Immigration Office (Trinidad) or Scarborough Port Authority (Tobago). Q flag mandatory until cleared. Crew list, ship's papers, and passports required. T&T cruising permit issued on clearance. Transit Zone: 30 days initial stay.
- !Venezuela: 11km west of Trinidad. Do NOT enter Venezuelan waters — piracy risk is severe and documented in the regional security network. The Bocas del Drago and Serpent's Mouth (southern strait) have strong 2–4kt tidal currents. Time passages carefully.
- !Gulf of Paria tidal range: 0.9–1.5m semi-diurnal tides in the Gulf of Paria — significantly larger than the 0.3m typical of most Caribbean islands. Set anchor scope for high-water depth in all Chaguaramas and northwest Trinidad anchorages. Tidal effects are minimal on Tobago's open coasts.
- !Buccoo Reef MPA: No anchoring anywhere on or near Buccoo Reef — criminal offence under T&T environmental law. Access only by licensed glass-bottom boat tours from Buccoo village, Tobago. No fishing in the MPA.
- !Leatherback turtles: Mar–Aug nesting season on many Trinidad and Tobago beaches. No lights on beach, no disturbance of nesting females. Conservation volunteers monitor key beaches — follow their instructions. Leatherback turtle watching with guides is a remarkable permitted experience.
- !South of hurricane belt: Trinidad and Tobago lie at 10–11°N, south of the principal hurricane track. The islands are occasionally affected by tropical storms but have not suffered a major direct hurricane hit in decades. Year-round sailing and boatyard operations. Insurance terms more flexible than for northern Caribbean islands.
For a full overview of Caribbean anchoring rules, see our overnight anchoring rules by region guide.