A trip to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is not complete without a day trip to the Tobago Cays. Petit Rameau, Petit Bateau, Baradal, Petit Tabac, and Jamesby make up the five Tobago Cays in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. They are east of Mayreau and northeast of Union Island, two of the Grenadines.

The Tobago Cays are a group of uninhabited islands in the Southern Caribbean that are the epitome of the picturesque deserted island you likely picture in your head. Everything about the Tobago Cays exudes tropical island beauty, from the gorgeous white sand to the stunning aqua-blue waters surrounding the islands.

Our day trip to the Tobago Cays was my favorite day of our entire trip by far! It was such a unique experience to see these small islands and explore a few of them all in one day.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines were hit by Hurricane Beryl at the end of June. Many people on Union Island have lost their homes, businesses, and boats in the devastation. Day trips to the Tobago Cays will likely not be possible until 2025.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Klem lost his home and boat, Fair Deal, in the 2024 hurricane. If you can, please help by donating to his GoFundMe.

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Tips for Visiting the Tobago Cays

Book Ahead of Time

The private water taxi is just one person, so if someone books him for the day that’s it! Book as far in advance as possible to ensure availability.

Check the Weather Before You Go

The weather can change quickly in the Caribbean and depending on the time of year you visit, there may be choppy seas on a windy day. Check the weather for the day you plan to take a day trip to the Tobago Cays so you know what to expect.

Research the Tobago Cays

Even just learning the names of the Tobago Cays and where they are located in relation to each other helps to orient yourself once you’re out at sea.

Knowing a bit about the cays ahead of time will make them even more enjoyable to visit. If there’s anything you are curious about but couldn’t find information on, just ask your boat captain/tour guide! They’re incredibly knowledgeable and are happy to share any information they have.

Follow the Leave No Trace Principles

The Tobago Cays are a protected marine park. Treat them as you would any other protected, fragile, or otherwise natural area.

Do not touch the coral, don’t collect shells or other items from the beaches or sea, and do not disturb any wildlife by getting close or trying to touch them.
Ensure you wear reef-safe sunscreen to protect the delicate reefs around the Tobago Cays.
Do not leave any trash or items on the islands.
Do not pick or touch any plants.

Tobago Cays Day Trip - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

What to Bring on a Tobago Cays Day Trip

Water bottles: Stay hydrated! It’s hot in the Caribbean and you’ll want plenty of fresh water to drink throughout the day. I brought my Owala 24oz water bottle and also got a large water bottle at the beach BBQ.
Turkish towel: I used my Turkish towel for laying out on the beach, drying off after a swim in the sea, and sun protection on the boat (draped over my shoulders).
Cash (EC): No one accepts cards on the Tobago Cays. You will need cash for the private water taxi ($700 EC + tip), the beach BBQ ($200-250 EC), and the fee for visiting the marine park ($15 EC per person).
Sun protection: You can’t spend a day on gorgeous beaches in the Caribbean without reef-safe sunscreen, plus a hat and sunglasses for that extra protection!
Waterproof pouch (optional): I wish I had brought an underwater camera or my waterproof phone pouch to take photos and videos of the incredibly colorful fish, reefs, and sea turtles! This is optional, but it is worth it to capture those memories.
Snacks: While we did have a delicious, filling beach BBQ, snacks or a protein bar would have been great to have before lunch since we didn’t have a large breakfast. Lunch was around 1pm, so if you think you’ll need snacks before then, bring them!

How to Visit the Tobago Cays

Catamaran or Yacht

One option for visiting the Tobago Cays on a day trip is to book a catamaran or yacht. You will be with other people and have a set itinerary for the day unless you charter a private yacht.

There are multiple options for a day trip to the Tobago Cays on a catamaran/yacht from Saint Vincent and a few of the Grenadines.

Union Island, Mayreau, and Canouan are the closest Grenadine islands to the Tobago Cays, making for a shorter trip if you depart from one of these islands instead of Bequia or Saint Vincent.

Note: Most, if not all, catamarans/yachts will not visit Petit Tabac due to the reef around the island which makes it difficult for boats to anchor, particularly larger ones.

Private Water Taxi

The best way to visit the Tobago Cays is on a private water taxi tour with Klem from Fair Deal, which departs from Union Island. This allows for a more private, customized day trip to the Tobago Cays.

I first saw Klem recommended on Laaurenjade.com, and after some research, saw many people on TripAdvisor recommending him as well!

We booked with Klem via email about a month before our trip, but you should book further in advance if you are visiting during the high season! In June 2024, it was $260 USD ($700 EC) for a trip to Mayreau and a few of the Tobago Cays for two people, plus about $30-40 per person (about $220 EC for two people) for a beach BBQ (optional).

It was well worth every penny! This was the highlight of our entire trip and I would love to do it again on a future visit. Klem was such a great captain and tour guide — we had the best day on his boat!

There may be other water taxis that depart from other islands, but Klem was so great I wouldn’t even look at the others if you plan to visit Union Island.

More Info About the Private Water Taxi

Book via email, which you can get from his Facebook Page. Klem is incredibly fast to respond!
We specifically requested to visit Petit Tabac at the time of booking since it was the island I was most interested in (since it’s a Pirates of the Caribbean filming location), but I am not sure if a visit there is always included or if you always have to request it.
We met Klem at 9am at the Anchorage Yacht Club. The time/location may change depending on the season, so ask ahead of time about when and where to meet on Union Island.
The trip is a full day, returning around 4pm. We finished around 3:30pm.
Payment is in cash only, paid at the end of the day. It was $700 Eastern Caribbean Dollars (EC) — equivalent to about $260 USD. I also tipped $100 EC, so $800 EC total. There is an ATM in town not far from the Anchorage Yacht Club!
Klem provides a snorkel mask and goggles on his boat. No need to rent any for this Tobago Cays day trip!

Tobago Cays Day Trip Itinerary

Union Island

We departed from Union Island—one of the Grenadines—on the day trip with Klem. We met him at the Anchorage Yacht Club where his boat was docked. This is also where we got dropped off at the end of the day.

Looking for a place to stay on Union Island? I LOVED our stay at Tenuta Chatham Bay! The hotel arranged for a driver to pick us up and take us to the Anchorage Yacht Club, which was incredibly convenient and we loved the driver (we ended up booking him for all the rides we needed during our stay on this island).

Mayreau

The first stop on our day trip to the Tobago Cays from Union Island with Klem was Saltwhistle Bay in Mayreau. This island is also one of the Grenadines, not a Tobago Cay. Saltwhistle Bay is one of the most beautiful beaches in all of SVG and I’m thrilled we got to visit it!

Our water taxi pulled right up to the beach and we hopped off with our backpacks in the shallow shores. We spent about 20-30 minutes swimming in the bay, petting an adorable local dog on the beach, and taking some photos with the quintessential tropical palm trees that grow almost horizontally.

Not all Tobago Cays day trips go to Mayreau, so check the itinerary before you book if Saltwhistle Bay is a must-see destination on your list!

Petit Tabac - Pirates of the Caribbean

This deserted island was what I had been looking forward to visiting the entire trip! Petit Tabac is famous for being a filming location in Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, which is my life-long obsession.

If you recall the scenes where Captain Jack and Elizabeth are marooned on an island and drank lots of rum before Elizabeth set the palm trees on fire the next morning, that was filmed on Petit Tabac! It looks just like the movie, with a few (likely CGI) exceptions.

This island can only be visited via water taxi because it is surrounded by shallow reefs. Captain Klem had to make multiple maneuvers to get us close enough to shore, and even then we jumped out into almost waist-deep water and walked to shore.

We spent about 15-20 minutes at one end of the island—where we got dropped off—just in awe that we were actually here! This was a dream come true for me and a memory I will never forget. I still can’t believe it!

Tobago Cays Snorkeling with Turtles

Once we had our fill of playing pirates on Petit Tabac, we boarded Klem’s boat again and headed out to the coral reef area. This is where we put on goggles and a snorkel, jumped into the sea, and explored what was below the surface.

Klem knows the perfect place to dock so you can see the most colorful, active reefs. We saw dozens of different types of fish and colorful coral right where we stopped, but you can venture further from the boat if you wish!

Then we hopped back onto the boat (I should note there is not a ladder to get back onto the boat from the sea, it’s a combo of stepping onto the motor, grabbing a handhold, and getting a lift up from Klem to get back on) to head a few minutes to the next stop: sea turtles!

While I’ve snorkeled dozens of times in Hawaii and been very lucky to spot a couple of sea turtles on those trips, I have never seen so many sea turtles in one area in my life. It was magical!

The area we stopped is where the sea turtles feed on the grasses growing on the sea floor. They are constantly swimming down to munch on some grass, then surfacing to take a breath (sea turtles can’t breathe underwater — they’re just great at holding their breaths for a long time).

We saw maybe 30 sea turtles altogether, undisturbed by people snorkeling nearby. The visibility wasn’t as clear as it was near the reefs since the sand kicked up more, but it was still easy to spot the turtles within 30-50 feet of us.

I cannot stress enough how special this moment of the trip was! If you love sea turtles, this day trip is perfect for you.

Petit Bateau

We spent the most time on Petit Bateau because this is where we had a beach BBQ! If you also opt for the beach BBQ (highly recommended), you’ll also enjoy a great lunch at the picnic tables here before having some free time to swim, relax, or explore the tiny island.

The beach BBQ food was the best meal I had on the trip! I got the veggie plate, which had a large potato (a kind I had never tried before), rice, and salad. My husband got a chicken plate with a couple of chicken legs. During lobster season from September 1 – April 30, you can get a whole grilled lobster as well!

I was excited to see some giant iguanas hanging around while we ate lunch! They stayed far away from the people and you should stay far away from them.

There were a few other small groups on the island eating lunch and enjoying the beach while we were here. Despite being a small island, it was still pretty empty and easy to have a space to ourselves.

You can walk a small trail from one side of the island to the other (less than 5 minutes) where you can see Petit Tabac in the distance. The beach on this side is tiny and has more plants — I recommend checking it out, but then staying on the main side of the island for the prettiest beach and sea experience.

Palm Island

After filling up on the beach BBQ and enjoying Petit Bateau, we headed back towards Union Island. We passed Palm Island—another one of the Grenadines—where we had the opportunity to stop and hang out on the beach there, but we decided not to since we had so much beach already that day!

Palm Island is a private island with a resort, but the beach is open to the public. While you can go on the beach, you cannot go any further onto the island unless you are a guest of the all-inclusive Palm Island Resort.

Happy Island

The last stop on our epic day trip to the Tobago Cays was Happy Island. Klem offers a taxi service between Union Island and Happy Island, so he visits it often.

Happy Island started as a small sandbank, but the owners continued widening it and adding a bar with a large interior area. It’s considered a manmade island and was one of the more unique places we visited.

If you have time, definitely make a stop at Happy Island for some drinks! We got our Captain Klem a beer and had some painkillers. The interior is cozy and it’s impressive that it was all hand-built on a sandbank!