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Buccoo Reef
Coral gardens and the surreal Nylon Pool
Coral gardens and the surreal Nylon Pool
A shallow, protected coral reef and Marine Park off southwestern Tobago — a sunlit garden of corals, sea fans and darting reef fish in warm, clear water. Long one of the Caribbean’s best-known reefs, it is fragile and now carefully managed, and best appreciated by snorkelling gently above it.
Snorkel rather than stand — never touch or step on the coral, which is protected and easily damaged.
A magical, waist-deep sandbar pool in the middle of the sea, where the water glows a pale, milky turquoise over white sand far from any shore. Boats moor here so you can wade, float and swim in the open ocean — supposedly with rejuvenating powers, and certainly unforgettable.
The Nylon Pool is the highlight of the reef tour — bring a waterproof camera.
The classic way to see the reef — flat-bottomed boats with viewing panels glide out from Pigeon Point and Store Bay over the coral, the guide pointing out fish and formations, before mooring at the Nylon Pool for a swim. It is easy, family-friendly and the quintessential Tobago half-day.
Choose an operator that respects the Marine Park rules — no anchoring on coral, no feeding the fish.
The laid-back fishing village behind the reef comes alive on Sunday nights for ‘Sunday School’ — an open-air street party of steelpan, soca, food and rum that everyone is welcome to join. At Easter, Buccoo also hosts Tobago’s celebrated goat and crab races.
Sunday School starts with steelpan in the evening and gets livelier late — go for the music and the lime.
Buccoo and the nearby Crown Point strip serve up Tobago’s best local flavours. The island’s signature dish is curry crab and dumpling — blue crab in a rich, spicy curry with soft flour dumplings, eaten with your fingers — and it is a highlight of the Sunday School street party, where vendors also grill fish and pour rum punch. Nearby Store Bay’s famous food huts add roti, fried fish, pelau and macaroni pie, while beach bars mix cocktails at sunset. Fresh seafood, callaloo and plenty of rum are the order of the day. Come hungry to Sunday School and eat your way around the stalls.
Buccoo Reef is reached by boat, not road — glass-bottom and snorkelling tours depart from Pigeon Point and Store Bay at Crown Point, a short trip along the coast. The village of Buccoo itself sits just inland on Tobago’s southwest, a few minutes by taxi or car from the Crown Point hotels and airport. Around the island, taxis and route taxis are cheap (agree fares first), and renting a car or scooter gives the freedom to explore further; driving is on the left. To reach Tobago from Trinidad, take the 20-minute flight or the inter-island ferry (about 2.5 to 4 hours) to Scarborough. It is all very close together — reef, pool, village and beaches within a small radius.
The reef is at its best in the dry season, roughly January to May, when the sea is calmest and the water clearest for snorkelling and glass-bottom tours — visibility is often finest around March and April. The wetter months from June to December can stir up the water and bring showers, though tours still run. Sunday School happens year-round on Sunday nights, and the goat races fall at Easter. The island lies south of the main hurricane belt, so storms are rare.
A glass-bottom boat tour from Pigeon Point over the coral gardens, then a float in the milky Nylon Pool.
Back to the village or Store Bay for curry crab and dumpling and a cool-off on the beach.
If it’s a Sunday, stay for Buccoo’s legendary street party — steelpan, soca, street food and dancing into the night.
Buccoo is a Marine Park — snorkel gently, never touch or stand on the coral, and choose a responsible operator.
The waist-deep sandbar pool in the open sea is the tour’s magic moment — don’t skip it.
If you can, visit on a Sunday to catch Buccoo’s Sunday School street party in the evening.
For the clearest water and best snorkelling, visit January to May, with visibility often finest in March and April.
Carry cash for tours, food and the party, and use reef-safe sunscreen to help protect the coral.
Quick answers to the questions travellers most often ask before visiting Buccoo Reef.
A magical, waist-deep sandbar pool in the open sea off Buccoo Reef, where the crystal-clear water glows a milky turquoise over white sand far from shore. Glass-bottom boat tours stop here so you can wade and swim in the middle of the ocean — a Tobago highlight.
By glass-bottom boat or snorkelling tour from Pigeon Point or Store Bay at Crown Point — a short trip out to the reef, usually combined with a swim at the Nylon Pool. As it’s a protected Marine Park, go with a licensed, responsible operator.
Yes — it’s Tobago’s signature outing, pairing a shallow coral reef with the surreal Nylon Pool. Snorkelling is the best way to see the coral and fish. Do bear in mind the reef is fragile and protected, so tread carefully (or rather, don’t tread at all).
Despite the name, it’s a weekly Sunday-night open-air street party in Buccoo village — steelpan and soca music, food stalls, rum and dancing that everyone is welcome to join. It starts gently with pan in the evening and gets livelier late.
Yes — most glass-bottom tours include a snorkel stop over the reef, which is the best way to see the coral and fish, and dive operators visit deeper sites nearby. As it’s a protected Marine Park, don’t touch or stand on the coral, and use reef-safe sunscreen.
Book tours, day trips and skip-the-line tickets in and around Buccoo Reef.
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Vibrant Port of Spain, the beach at Maracas, Tobago’s Pigeon Point jetty, the capital Scarborough and the coral of Buccoo Reef — five sides of a two-island nation.
Planning a wider trip? Our Trinidad and Tobago travel guide covers getting there, costs, when to go and more.