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Castara Retreats is a charming eco resort on the Northwest coast of Tobago. A collection of 17 luxurious, treehouse-style lodges nestled into the hillside, each one or two-bed self-catering ensuite accommodation has stunning views of the ocean below. Our on-site restaurant and bar, Caribbean Kitchen (see separate TA profile) serves up delicious modern Caribbean cuisine, using the freshest ingredients on the island, and fish caught from the bay below. Just a two-minute walk from the apartments you'll find yourself on one of our two beaches - perfect for lazy days sunbathing, swimming and relaxing to your heart's content. Don't miss daily yoga with Judha or Leah at our open-sided wellness studio - the most glorious location, where birdsong and crashing waves provides the perfect soundtrack to your practice. We have a range of massages available to help you unwind even further.
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At Castara Retreats, many guests praise the welcoming atmosphere and the hotel's stunning location close to the beach, often citing the tranquil environment and beautiful views. The rooms are recognized for their privacy and design but some suggest they could benefit from updates and more frequent cleaning.
While the staff's friendliness is frequently commended, a few travelers note instances of slow service. While the retreat generally maintains a high standard of cleanliness, the value proposition is a point of contention, with some guests feeling the experience does not fully justify the cost.
Location
Picturesque
Atmosphere
Welcoming
Rooms
Tasteful
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Pristine
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Relaxing
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Castara Retreats is an excellent "hotel alternative"; we chose it because we wanted the feel of a rental house but some conveniences like the restaurant, help with activities, and cleaning. However, we wanted to avoid a resort or a hotel that made us feel cut off from the world. This place was perfect! Our family was spread across Coasthanger, Treetops, and Rainforest. We had our own spaces when we needed and we used Treetops as our home base for gathering together. All the accommodations had open air living space with beautiful views. The bedrooms have air conditioners and we did not have any trouble with mosquitoes. Some of the reviews mention "town noise" but, honestly, we loved it. The distant sounds of dogs, roosters, school children and town life were a pleasant backdrop and much better than any city noise or piped-in hotel elevator music. We ate some delicious meals at the retreat (Caribbean Kitchen), but were pleasantly surprised by the welcoming, safe, and accessible feel of the local businesses in town. So we frequented a number of local places like Cheno's, Riverside Cafe, and Cascreole. There is also a well stocked market where we picked up supplies for cooking in our own kitchen. We did a snorkeling trip with Porridge (Sun Arise Tours) and birding trip with Newton George. We highly recommend both. But otherwise we spent all our time on the beach, in the water, drinking beers, and hanging around Castara. Even our picky family members fell in love with this place. The accommodations, the location, the people and the culture have left a lasting impression on us.
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Date of stay: May 2024
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Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â Everything is very casual; don't overpack.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There is something truly special here. Everything here is memorable. Love emanates from the staff who really care about you and the environment they live in. A special mention for Judha and Leah who unlocked not just my muscles, but a good deal of emotion. Thank you. The restaurant provides stunning, simple and amazing healthy food in a simply stunning setting. A big thank you to the restaurant staff too. Porridge and the team rightly deserve all the credit they receive. A delightful retreat that I hope remains just the way it is.
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Date of stay: January 2025
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Location
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Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sue Plumb, Sales at Castara Retreats
Responded 4 weeks ago
Thank you for such a heartfelt review! It means so much to us that you found your stay unforgettable and truly special. Your kind words about the care and love shown by our team—and their connection to the environment—perfectly capture the essence of what we strive for at Castara Retreats. Judha and Leah will be deeply touched to hear how their work made such a meaningful impact during your time here. The restaurant team will also be thrilled to know their efforts were so appreciated. Porridge and the entire team are grateful for your recognition, and we hope to welcome you back soon!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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I booked last minute after a major storm and boredom compelled me to leave Speyside where I was scuba diving, and look for another location on the island to spend my final days of vacation. From inquiry to check-out the Castara Retreats team, specifically Sue and Jeannell, made the experience easy and seamless. Tobago can be rustic and after the storm, internet was knocked out in many areas. If ATMs break, they are not fixed right away. You simply cannot rely on the ability to use credit cards on Tobago. The ability to pay via credit card with a phone call to the UK was brilliant and helped tremendously as I was fast running out of cash. I booked the "economy" room, the Tamarind, and it was so comfortable with a beautiful view of the beach and fishing boats. The open air kitchen/living room also had a nice hammock which was a welcome feature during a full day of heavy rain. I loved the feeling of being outdoors but still protected! The bedroom and bath had AC and a very comfortable bed with nice linens, pillows, and turkish towels. It felt luxurious which was uncommon in my 2 weeks in Tobago. The only downside of the Tamarind which is explained on the website is it is very close to the one and only road so I did get some road noise while I was out in the open area, but didn't hear anything in the bedroom. I attended a yoga class with Judha, and she was excellent, the yoga room spacious with an amazing sea view. I also had a meal at the onsite restaurant, Caribbean Kitchen. It was the best meal I had on the island. I had a great time at Castara Retreats.
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Date of stay: October 2022
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â This resort is built on the side of a steep hill and you will be walking up a hill or steps no...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sue Plumb, Sales at Castara Retreats
Responded 19 Jan 2023
Thanks for your detailed review - it's so useful for potential guests to read about the detail of what we offer - from the linens and hammocks, to the ability to pay via credit card over the phone with our incredible UK bookings team. With regards to the noise in the room - thanks for sharing this detail. Our site is quite large (2 acres), with all our eco-lodges unique, meeting different needs and budgets. If noise is an important factor for you, speak to our bookings team to help you book one of our quieter eco-lodges.
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Unfortunately we were a bit disappointed overall with our stay at Castara Retreats.
It’s definitely a picturesque setting with lovely views over the bay and our bungalow had nice outside space to listen to the sea, the birds and enjoy the view.
The staff, especially Porridge, we generally found friendly and helpful. Yoga was on the mellow side but well taught and in a lovely setting.
The rustic accommodation is in need of some updating, particularly the bathroom and kitchen, and cleaning every 3-4 days (and in a beach resort) is far too infrequent in light of this.
The whole of Tobago was more expensive than expected, but the restaurant at Castara was at the top end (London prices and in some cases higher). It was generally tasty but portions were very small and for a stay longer than 5 days, the choice was very limited.
Noise had been mentioned in other reviews and it is definitely valid complaint - the whole property is impacted given the position in the valley - albeit I estimate 2 nights a week and finished by midnight so we weren’t significantly disturbed.
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Date of stay: December 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sue Plumb, Sales at Castara Retreats
Responded 9 Jan 2024
Thank you for your honest review. We really appreciate it when guests take the time to point out elements of their stay that weren't quite right and we genuinely use these reviews for training and informing our upcoming budgets and plans. I've passed on your comments about the portion size to our restaurant team. We have very recently undergone a large training exercise with our team led by an expert chef and restauranteur from the UK. The feedback we had previously was that our portion sizes were far too big, leading to waste, so we have tried to rectify that in line with our sustainable approach, but perhaps we need to look again. Our restaurant is priced higher than in the village and we do this purposely so we're not in competition with them. Our ethos is very much about sharing the benefits of tourism and we want our friends in the village to thrive. Many choose to eat with us a few evenings and then spend others at lovely restaurants in the village with a lower price point. Our food is also quite different - a modern twist on Caribbean cuisine - so we can give a varied experience to our guests. Our menu is also purposely small - again this is part of our ethos to cook locally and seasonally, reducing our reliance on imported goods as much as possible, and also critically to reduce waste. Everything is made fresh, to order. We find this smaller, more considered menu allows for a higher quality of food to consistently be served. We are aware that some of our properties have older kitchens and bathrooms than others, and our prices reflect this difference. Most of our properties were created with local, sustainably-sourced cypress, with the kitchens hand-crafted by local carpenters. Although not contemporary in look and detail, we believe they are a good look for such a luxury rustic vibe. The are excellent quality and to rip them out while they work so well would be wasteful. However, we do keep reviewing this year on year. The accommodations are self-catering and are well equipped, including cleaning equipment - we are technically not a hotel. Our cleaning regime is every 3 to 4 days, where sheets and towels are changed and a light clean throughout occurs. We believe this is adequate and fits with our ethos of sustainability (reducing unnecessary washing of towels and sheets during a guest's stay for instance). And of course, we invite guests to speak directly to our local team (Porridge, Jeanell and Derricia) if they require anything additional to this. We have a very responsive and friendly team who do everything they can to meet expectations, but guests do need to ask if the would like things over and above our standard practice.
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We stayed here for a corporate event in May 2022 and everything was so well done. We were well looked after by the team including Porridge, Jeanell and Kyle in the restaurant and all their other team members. From the time we arrived we had all our rooms waiting, food and drinks were always well prepared and on time. Porridge ensured we had all the other activities covered including airport taxi runs, fishing trips, breakfast in Castara etc. The beauty of Castara Retreats includes the lovely rooms, the natural environment and of course the proximity to Castara. The people of Castara are all so welcoming and it is really a lovely place to spend some down time. Thank you to Sue and Lorna who made all the bookings and really ensured we were well looked after; even after we had to postpone the original trip due to Covid. If you want to recharge and relax while enjoying the beauty of Castara and the warmth of their people then Castara Retreats is a great option.
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Date of stay: May 2022
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Trip type: Travelled on business
Room Tip:Â All the rooms have lovely views. Coasthanger, beachscape and birdsong are spectacular.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We chose Castara Retreats as our first choice cause we are always on the other side of Tobago and wanted something different. The Kids were warned that there would be no television all nature! We were pleasantly surprised with our room Treetops, it was a thoughtfully laid out space that we called home for our brief stay with all the basic amenities needed. The view that greeted us was impeccable to say the least, if nothing else that VIEW....WOW! we were literally in the tree tops with a view of the emerald waters of the bay staring back at us......magical! Staff graciously greeted us and even helped carry our luggage up those many steps, and there was even a delicious welcome bread waiting for us! The beach was walking distance, and we got to experience some fishermen pulling in their huge net.The village has basic grocery items that can be purchased for in house cooking or you can choose to dine out. If it were up to me I would not have left my room with its open style verandah and view but alas we had the kids along for the ride so I had no choice. The main highlight for us though was the bounty of wildlife all around greeting us as we gazed upon the luscious landscape blooming all around . There was a variety of birds that would entertain us every morning and evening with their impeccable solos but I stopped counting, as well as some agouti foraging nearby in the bushes and lets not forget Carol the beautiful hostess cat that allowed us the magnificence of her presence! What a GEM! Would I visit Castara Retreats Again? dam sure I will if its just to see carol the cat (lol) but the place does live up to its name, it is a GEM , a beauty in its own way, the atmosphere is calming, breathtaking.... even magical ! If you ever take that trip to Tobago and you want something different away from it all try this place you will not regret it! I even considered lengthening our stay but could not find a babysitter for the kids , maybe next time!
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Date of stay: April 2022
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Castara Retreats provided a fantastic place to stay on the amazing island of Tobago. We stayed in River Breeze; having the 2 terraces, the front overlooking the beautiful bay and therear looking out across the rainforest was wonderful. The contrast between the two, with crashing waves on the beach or the cries of parots above the trees was such fun contrast.
The apartment was very comfortable; the living-dining-kitchen area, open to the elements and some of the wildlife was a real joy. Having a humming bird fly in above your head was really fun. The kitchen area is well equipped and allowed us to cook there a couple of times. We also ate breakfast each morning whilst watching the local fishermen set out with frigate birds circling above them.
The bedroom is closed and air conditioning as well as fans is available if needed. We preferred not to use them and quickly adjusted to the warmth (24 or 25 degrees C at night) and the enjoyment of tropical nights. The shower in the ensuite, whilst being far from a power shower, was more than adequate and the view out, again across rainforest was as refreshing as the shower itself. I'm not sure how important the mosquito netting around the bed was, but we used it just in case.
The position of Castara Retreats, just above the village is great, but it does mean there are a lot of steps (97 to reach River Breeze) and step slopes; sadly, this is not a place suited for those with mobility issues. The village was just a few minutes walk away, as was the lovely beach; the Caribbean is a wonderful sea to swim in.
The locals were absolutely fantastic; so freindly, especially if you give them a cheery hello. This was the real Caribbean, not some tourist pastiche made up by multinational hotel groups. We were never hasstled or felt remotely threatened; only made incredably welcome and at home. Tobago is a wonderful, stunning and friendly island; Castara Retreats is a brilliant base to explore it from.
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Date of stay: February 2022
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Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Having never traveled to the Caribbean Islands before, we took a leap of faith taking all the other reviews we head read about Castara retreats at face value when we decided to book Beachscape for our honeymoon. We are pleased to say that everything we had read proved to be true and that the beauty, calm, hospitality, and vibrancy of both the retreat and the village exceeded what expectations we had. We didn’t end up spending quite as much time in the village (especially for meals) as we had hoped since it was the low tourism season and a few places were closed more hours, but that meant more meals at Caribbean kitchen that were delicious and romantic. We loved swimming and snorkeling in Castara Bay and at the neighboring Englishman’s Bay (which we felt safe hiking about an hour to). The recommended excursions were also fantastic. We also loved our massage and drop in yoga classes. The staff were so friendly and really helped us make the most of our trip. We would go back in a hummingbird’s heartbeat!
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Date of stay: June 2024
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Location
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Take cash out before leaving the airport. The village ATM was finicky for us.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We all had such an amazing time at Castara - we stayed in Birdsong and were blown away by the setting, location, wildlife, service and daily experiences! The team of staff are all welcoming, happy to help and always ready with a smile! We booked on a range of activities which we would highly recommend, but interspersed with chilled days on the beach or at the waterfall. Newton George tours, Being with Horses and Tobago Mountain Bike Tours were all great. The village had everything we needed and catered relatively well for us as vegetarians. We don’t normally say we would return to a holiday destination but Castara Retreats is an exception for us!
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Date of stay: April 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I stayed in Hideaway, because the more balconies the better! It's a bit of a hilly drive from either the port or the airport but very manageable even in my (very old) car. I was met at reception by a very welcoming and fully vaccinated lady who helped me carry my things to the room. This was a 5 minute brisk, hilly walk from where I parked, but with beautiful views every step of the way.
As you step into the front balcony/open air kitchen and turn around, the view of Castara bay hits you and you can hear the waves. It does not disappoint. The surrounding trees add to the atmosphere. The kitchen is well equipped with stove, fridge, freezer, teapot, French press, toaster, plus all the basics. There was even a pitcher, in which I mixed my drinks flavoured by the fresh limes from the tree just outside.
At the time I went, the restaurant wasn't open, but dinner could still be ordered and brought to your room by another lovely lady. The food was plentiful, but average.
The room and bathroom were very clean, with fans, air conditioning and hot water. The bed was comfortable and there were large windows if you preferred breezes. There weren't many mosquitoes at the time I was there, but I kept the doors shut after dusk just in case and there were mosquito nets on the bed.
The second balcony was everything. Blazing sun in the mornings if that's something you want, but cool and shady from the afternoons, which I spent drunk in the hammock. From here you can see the mountains, the stars and hummingbirds. They have a few books, a Bluetooth speaker and WiFi that well supports streaming.
There is a little waterfall with a pool 15 minutes' walk behind the savannah next to the property that is definitely worth it, and more stunning views to be had driving east.
I also had a massage from Judha, which was another perfect way to relax.
Overall, this was the stress relief I wanted and needed, the five days felt too short, and I don't think I'll ever be able to stay anywhere else in Tobago!
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Date of stay: September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi - yes Castara is incredibly safe and we have regular solo travellers. Castara is a small, authentic fishing village with just a few hundred residents and there are very low rates of crime of any kind. Obviously, like anywhere in the world, we can't guarantee safety, but we feel very confident that our guests are safe in Castara.
Hay-on-Wye, United Kingdom15 contributions9 helpful votes
We 100% welcome solo female travellers! As you'll see from the other threads, it's widely agreed that Castara village and Castara Retreats is an incredibly safe location. A small fishing village, with jst a few hundred locals, guests are really welcomed and looked after in and around our retreat.
There are more places to choose from in the Castara area.
PRICE RANGE
£118 - £209 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
castara retreats hotel tobago
LOCATION
CaribbeanTrinidad and TobagoTobagoCastara
NUMBER OF ROOMS
17
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect nightly room rates, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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