Every place has a history - a story of how it began - and Trinidad and Tobago is no different. In fact, our beginnings were quite adventurous! Our islands were "discovered" in 1498 by Christopher Columbus, the great Spanish explorer - but this was actually a re-discovery, since indigenous Indian tribes known as Caribs and Arawaks already called these untouched islands home.

While Trinidad was under Spanish rule from the around the 15th Century until it became a British colony in 1802, Tobago was ruled by a number of European powers - but it too was declared a British colony in 1814, and our twin isles were administratively linked in 1889. By the following year, we were also politically linked. Even after our Independence in 1962, Trinidad and Tobago has never broken the ties that bind.

Our European conquerors did pave the way for a unique legacy, however - our cosmopolitan society. Nowhere in the world will you find such an exotic mix of culture and ethnicity. Africans were brought here to work as slaves on rich agricultural land that harvested mainly cocoa and sugar - but once the freedom of emancipation took hold, indentured labourers were brought from India to tend the estates, starting in 1845. Our islands also saw later immigration from China, Portugal, Syria and Lebanon, creating a distinctive Trinidad and Tobago that not only endures but flourishes. Where there is one, there is the other - where Trinidad is energetic, Tobago is soothing; Trinidad the heart, Tobago the soul; Trinidad of this world, Tobago.

As you discover the treasures of our island, you will still find remnants of eras past…days gone by. As testimony to how many times Tobago was fought over by European powers, the island has many forts that stand to this day - Fort Milford was built by the British in 1777 and Fort King George, named after King George III, is wonderfully perched above Scarborough, offering stunning views shaded by trees perhaps as old as the fort itself. This site has lots to see and do - there is a Craft Market and Museum in which you can see Amerindian artefacts from Tobago’s true beginnings.

Even Tobago’s sugar history is still very visible across the island - Arnos Vale, with its impressive water wheel, was a former sugar estate and visitors can tour the museum (located on site) as well as explore the surrounding forest - a favourite with bird watchers and hikers. Remnants of the sugar plantation days can also be found in the most unexpected places in the form of "coppers" - bowl-shaped metal containers (now rusted) that were used in the sugar making process. If any of these historical perspectives interest you, just contact the Sugar Mill Suites office and we will be happy to arrange guided tours to these fascinating sites. Enjoy!

Find out more about Tobago check out DiscoverTobago.com