Hummingbird 1

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Apartment |1 bedroom |Sleeps 2

Castara in Tobago

From £805 per week

Short stays welcome

Changeover flexible

Be the first to write a review

Key info  Beach or lakeside relaxation, balcony/terrace, car advised, private garden, no pets allowed

About the home

Hummingbird 1 is one of six unique accommodations at the small eco resort of Castara Retreats and has astonishing views across the broad sweep of Castara Bay. It also looks east across the tropical gardens to the village beyond and to the rainforest ridge in the distance, where the sun rises.

Hummingbird 1 is a one bedroom apartment of 700 sq ft, with separate kitchen, living/dining and both covered and open terraces. It is comfortable and very well equipped.

Facilities

Further details indoors:
Each accommodation has free WiFi access - a welcome new addition this year. Hummingbird 1 apartment has one bedroom with a queen size bed with good quality mattress, pillows, white cotton sheets and bed cover. The bed is covered by a very large mosquito net suspended from a rectangular wooden frame that allows lots of space underneath. The kitchen is well equipped with quality utensils, pans, coffee and teapots, glasses and china plates and bowls. There is also a hair-drier, a portable ventilation fan and a small full-height table with two upright chairs for dining as well as comfortable chairs for relaxing on the deck. As with all the accommodation, there is a small security safe for keeping cash, documents and other valuable items.

The shower and toilet room is located at the doorway and is convenient for showering off sand and salt before entering the bedroom area.

The original covered terrace has been extended to create an even larger space for relaxing and dining and to provide additional shelter during rainstorms. The extended terrace is now 20ft by 7ft with fabulous views across the beach and bay and also onto the tropical gardens.

The covered terrace has two comfortable chairs, a large hardwood coffee table and a hammock. Most clients spend a lot of time on this terrace for dining and hanging out, and absorbing the constantly changing natural environment of birds, ocean, beach, sky and weather.

Further details outdoors:
Adjoining the covered terrace is a private open terrace with outside furniture for eating or relaxing and this area then leads into the gardens on the east side of this apartment. This is an ideal place to sit and look at the views, or to lounge in the sun. There is a spacious new pavilion a few steps away where we offer Friday night BBQs for all our guests. It is beautifully set in our 1.5 acres of tropical gardens with wondrous views out over the Caribbean Sea facing west for those special sunset moments.

The whole area, including the terrace, is illuminated by spotlights with dimmer controls, which are perfect for creating soft low lighting for a romantic atmosphere, with the added benefit of avoiding the tropical insects that are attracted by bright light.

A few steps away is a magnificent new pagoda (completed in December 2010) where we offer Friday night BBQs for our guests. This is a great way to sample local dishes as well as meeting other guests.

Further details

As part of our fee, we arrange for fresh towels, a change of sheets and a light clean up every 3-4 days.

There is additional back up and support available such as laundry and cooking. This can be arranged on your behalf by Porridge who, with his wife Jeanell, looks after our accommodation. Such additional services are charged for. These costs are reasonable and should be discussed with Porridge after your arrival.

Conditions

Our minimum booking is seven nights except at the last minute or to fill gaps in our schedule. Please enquire.

Photos

 

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Castara Beach - a sweep of golden sand

 

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Sea view bedroom with en suite shower

 

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The view from bed at dusk...

 

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The covered terrace with views over Castara Bay

The Tobago region

There is no place in world quite like this tiny island of ethnically diverse people. Bursting with spirit and a heady mix of cultural activities, beautiful people, eco adventure and culinary delights, Tobago is is a tropical paradise and boasts the oldest protected rainforest in the world.

A drive along the North Coast Road, shaded by the lush forested canopy of the Northern mountain range, will yield breathtaking views of the Caribbean Sea. Just two hours away from Port-of-Spain by fast ferry, or 15 minutes by air travel, Tobago offers the weary traveler a change of pace. It is blessed with warm azure blue seas that lap against the pale golden sands of secluded beaches,

Tobago is the perfect place to relax in the embrace of lingering, golden sunsets. For the nature lover, Tobago's 14,000 acres of protected rainforest is a revelation and, for those with an adventurous spirit, the waters surrounding the island host stunning coral reefs teeming with marine life. Bird watchers will be astonished by the variety of regular visitors to the gardens many of whom will sit on your balcony railings if you leave fruit out for them. A birdwatching trip into the rainforest never fails to delight and there are few more inspiring sights than the Magnificent Frigate Birds cruising above the bay - sometimes up to a dozen at a time.

The Castara area

If location is everything in creating a perfect holiday, then Castara Retreats is close to perfection.

Castara is a small fishing village of 500 inhabitants on the Caribbean coast of the island, just 50 minutes drive from the airport at Crown Point. Backed by protected rainforest, the village residents support themselves with a combination of fishing, tourism and environmental work.

The beach is only a few minutes walk down a winding footpath. It is ideal for swimming, body surfing, sunbathing, wandering along the sand to buy a drink, choosing freshly caught fish for dinner, or a friendly chat with the locals. The sea in the bay offers excellent bathing and snorkelling, and is much less susceptible to the currents that can cause problems on the Atlantic coast.

The village is a four minute walk down the road. Pick up home made bread from the village bakery, reserve a table for the evening at Marguarite’s excellent restaurant, or order a take away, or collect provisions from the stores. The shops are simple, the people are delightful, and the mangoes are plentiful.

Take a longer stroll to Little Bay (10 minutes) to snorkel over the world class coral reef that begins a few feet away from the shore; parrot fish, angel fish and sting rays are a few of the everyday sights on the reef among the fan and brain coral. Then have a drink or eat at Vera's restaurant on the beach.

Or turn inland just before the village by the side of the stream and head into the rainforest and spot tree frogs and cocrico birds hiding in the foliage, before reaching the waterfall that cascades into a rock pool surrounded by hanging lianas.

Fishing is practised by the boats in the bay, and pulling in the nets onto the shore is an activity for all the community, and whoever on the beach wishes to lend a hand.

How to get there

What's nearby: Attractions Restaurants Click map icons for more information

Map showing the Castara areaReset Map

Flights run to Tobago from the following Airports:

Golden Caribbean Wednesdays Gatwick
Virgin Thursday Gatwick
British Airways Monday, Thursday, Saturday Gatwick

Activities near Castara

Guestbook for Hummingbird 1

Vittorio Lupi and Eleanora Agricola

Visited: Hummingbird 1 - January 2011

We stayed in Castara retreats for 10 days.The location is amazing and the apartments are perfectly integrated with the surrounding environment. From our balcony we saw unforgettable sunsets and the view of Castara bay was breathtaking at any time. The retreat is a 5 minute walk from the fishermen’s village. There I spent hours observing the rhythm of their simple life.

The beach is even closer down the hill and if you want to relax in a really secluded beach just go to the village and ask for someone to give you a ride to Englishman’s Bay, a 10 minute drive from Castara. We will never forget that place.

Salwa Beheiry

Visited: Hummingbird 1 - August 2010

Just a note to let you know that I had the most wonderful time in Castara and can't wait to go back. Everyone was super nice and friendly and I had the chance to make wonderful friendships, including Tim and Ali (in Fisherman's). Please let Steve and Sue know how wonderful the staff is (I am sure I am not the first one to note that) and I do admire their spirit of creativity and sense of human generosity.

Rental prices

Prices for group size 2
Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
High season	21 Dec 11	1 May 12	805£ 805	0-	0-	1 Week

NB: Prices may be subject to change at the advertiser's discretion.

Payment Terms

To confirm your booking a one third deposit is required. The balance is due 8 weeks before the start of your holiday.

Payment may be made by cheque, bank transfer or credit card. All transactions are payable in UK Sterling.

Availability

See below for next 9 months' availability - to see the next 24 months click here

Contact the owner

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5 years listed You are contacting Jean Whieldon Landline +1 613 2675167 Mobile n/a Web Visit site Languages spoken The owner is based in the United States and has advertised with Holiday Lettings since 2006. This apartment has so far received 0 reviews.