Belle Garden: Coast, Bele and Historic Places

Belle Garden lies on Tobago’s Atlantic coast between the neighboring communities of Pembroke and Roxborough. Historic buildings, the Bele Festival and the Belle Garden Wetland offer different perspectives on the area. If your travel group has varied interests, you can weigh whether local history, Bele or nature watching is the strongest draw for your stay when choosing a vacation rental.

Coast, Cultural Heritage and Bele

Richmond Great House is one of Belle Garden’s historic attractions and ranks among Tobago’s oldest and best-preserved plantation houses. It links a local attraction to the island’s wider architectural history. Old Doctor’s Quarters offers a different historical perspective: in the 20th century, the building served as Belle Garden’s main medical facility. The contrast between a plantation house and a former medical facility makes the area’s history tangible through two very different buildings.

Kendal Water Wheel is also one of Belle Garden’s historic sites and attractions. Together with the two houses, it offers another point of reference if you want to get to know the area through its historic landmarks.

The Bele Festival adds a cultural dimension to these architectural landmarks. A Bele Festival parade was planned for November 12, 2011, with Belle Garden Great House as its starting point. Later, on July 31, 2017, the Bele Festival was held at Belle Garden Recreation Ground, where several cultural groups performed different forms of Bele. If you are planning your trip around a festival, check the dates for your travel period.

Nature at the Belle Garden Wetland

The Belle Garden Wetland was presented as part of a pilot project as a venue for certified eco-tours for local residents and international visitors. Visitors could learn about medicinal plants, colorful bird species and the importance of wetlands; with a little luck, they might spot a caiman. Alongside local history, this offers a nature-focused experience that combines observation and learning. If a tour like this is important to your plans, check in advance what is currently available.

Tobago in a Wider Context

Looking beyond Belle Garden to Tobago, you’ll encounter other cultural and cocoa-related themes. In 2005, Tobago’s cocoa industry was revived through the initiative of young Tobagonian and sommelier Duane Dove. Tobago Cocoa Estate is situated in the green hills of Roxborough, overlooking the Atlantic. A variety of cocoa known as “fine” or “flavour” cocoa is grown there and used to make chocolate.

Tobago’s fishing communities also maintain a communal practice: during “pulling seine,” communities bring the day’s catch ashore; the method is also known as “lending hands.” The Tobago Harvest Festival originated as a religious harvest thanksgiving for the produce of the island’s villages. The program described included a morning service to bless the food and an afternoon concert featuring skits, poems and a cantata by the village choir.

Another distinctive place in the Tobago context is Buccoo Historical Park, a historic nature park on Golden Grove Estate in Buccoo. Its remains include two water mills, a copra-drying area and an old cocoa building. The Trinidad and Tobago Inter-Island Ferry Service offers daily trips between Trinidad and Tobago; check the operator’s schedule before you travel.

Discover more destinations: Charlotteville, Speyside.

For the broader travel overview: Eastern Tobago.