News
Thank You, Porridge & Jeanelle!
Celebrating 25 Years of Island Hospitality & Heart
Your warmth, laughter, and love for Castara will always be part of our story

After 25 years of heartfelt service and hospitality, Castara Retreats announces the departure of two extraordinary individuals who have been central to our journey since the beginning –  Porridge and Jeanelle.

From the earliest days, Porridge and Jeanelle have been the faces of Castara Retreats’ warm local welcome. Their natural charm, openness, and deep love for Castara brought thousands of visitors into connection with the rhythms of island life. For many guests, Porridge’s morning greetings and Jeanelle’s nurturing presence became synonymous with the Castara experience.

Their story with us is woven into the fabric of the resort – from fish cooked on the beach to evenings under the stars, community cricket matches, and the sound of friendly laughter on the veranda. Together, they helped shape the unique soul of our retreat and the enduring friendships that grew here.

Now, as our owner Steve steps back from day-to-day operations and Castara Retreats transitions to its next chapter, Porridge and Jeanelle have chosen to pursue a long-held dream: establishing their own hospitality venture. Castara Retreats is proud to support them in this next step, providing assistance with the setup of their new property, including start-up support and a generous farewell gratuity in recognition of their contribution.

We want to reassure our guests and partners that this change is being handled with care, gratitude, and respect for all involved, their legacy will live on in the warmth, authenticity, and sense of community that remains at the heart of Castara Retreats.

A New Chapter for Castara Retreats

As we celebrate Porridge and Jeanelle’s contribution, we also look ahead. Castara Retreats now enters an exciting new phase under the guidance of a refreshed leadership team — committed to maintaining the values that have made the property so beloved.

Led by our newly appointed General Manager, Maisha Oben, and Marketing & Regenerative Tourism Manager, Sheena Des Vignes — both deeply rooted in the community and experienced in sustainable hospitality — our focus remains on meaningful guest experiences, strong local partnerships, and regenerative practices.

Guests can continue to expect the same intimate, eco-conscious charm, enriched by a renewed commitment to quality, innovation, and the people of Castara.

To Our Guests and Community

We invite all who have been touched by Porridge and Jeanelle’s spirit to celebrate their legacy with us. Share your memories or messages via our social media channels, or by emailing the Castara Retreats team. We’ll make sure your words reach them as they begin this next exciting chapter.

This is not goodbye – it’s a shared new beginning, grounded in the same love for Castara that brought us all together

April 2025

 

  • Becoming more sustainable with Green Key International

    Becoming more sustainable with Green Key
    We've received Green Key International Certification!

    We are delighted to be officially Green Key International Certified for 2023-24!

    Green Key are one of the leading global eco-certification programmes, with over 4,400 certified hotels and establishments across more than 60 countries worldwide. Implemented by National Operator Green T&T in partnership with the Tobago Tourism Agency Limited (TTAL), this programme has been instrumental in promoting environmental responsibility and sustainable operations within the tourism and hospitality industry.

    At Castara Retreats, we’ve been working towards our certification for the past year, evaluating our existing processes, educating ourselves on what being ‘green’ and ‘sustainable’ really means through a series of internal workshops, and being ambitious yet realistic about the goals to set ourselves that are measurable and timebound. We were audited by the Green Key programme, who looked at our environmental management, energy conservation, waste management, water conservation, and other sustainable practices. The Green Key National Jury then reviewed our application. Upon meeting full compliance, we were awarded the Green Key Certification for one year. This rigorous process has established Green Key as one of the most reputable eco-labels worldwide, trusted by prominent chains such as Radisson, Marriott, Accor, and Hyatt.

    The recent certification ceremony took place on November 21st, attached to our sustainability workshop, where we worked together as a team to recognise what we’re doing well, set goals for the future and identify project teams to drive progress – all to inform our sustainability strategy.

    The Tobago Tourism Development Limited (TTAL) has issued this statement:

    “With seven (7) Green Key-certified properties, there are now more accommodation options for the eco-conscious visitor to Tobago. This sets Tobago apart from other countries in the English-speaking Caribbean. The Tobago Tourism Agency Limited is committed to promoting the Green Key programme to increase the awareness and adoption of the sustainable practices inherent in the certification.”

    For Castara Retreats, our journey to certification has been really impactful, with our approach being built collectively with our staff from all departments. Steve, owner of Castara Retreats said:

    “Green Key is an excellent validation of priorities that we have been long-term committed to at Castara Retreats. We plan to continue setting and achieving targets year after year and for our passion to protect and enhance the environment to be shared by guests, staff and all our local and international partners. We are super excited to share this journey with others. Our strategy for sustainability, to be published in early 2024, is now our top business priority.”

    For more information on Green T&T, please visit www.green-tt.org.

    December 2023

  • We’ve won an eco award!

    Proud winners of Luxlife Award

    Best Eco beach lodge getaway 2023 - Trinidad and Tobago

    We’re delighted to have won our first eco-related award as part of the LuxLife magazine’s 8th annual awards programme.

    Having worked hard for over two decades to build Castara Retreats into a sustainable business that enhances the local environment and community in Tobago as much as possible, we’re chuffed to receive this recognition.

     

    From sponsoring local institute ERIC (Environmental Research Institute Charlottesville) to regenerate the coral reef in Castara Bay, to supporting local community members to develop and promote their own independent tourism-related businesses, we strive to enhance the flora and fauna within the beautiful fishing village of Castara.

    As of November 2022, we’re excited to be working with Green Key International – an organisation helping tourism enterprises improve their environmental responsibility and sustainability standards. We wholly welcome our partnership with this prestigious and rigorous eco-label and are passionate about our commitment to long-term changes – from educating ourselves on how to live and work with a more sustainable mindset, to practical changes such as introducing solar panels to our properties. Our initial assessment shows we’re already strong in several areas, such as community engagement and composting, and there is exciting progress to make.

    Thanks again to Luxlife for the recognition!

    August 2023

  • Launching our first home-grown Yoga Retreat

    The Power of Now Yoga Retreat
    7-day yoga holiday led by in-house expert yoga teacher, Judha

    Long awaited and inspired by high demand, we’re delighted to launch our first home-grown yoga retreat between 4-11 November 2023, hosted by our very own expert yoga teacher, Jovander Pacheco (aka Judha). ‘The Power of Now’ is a seven-day vinyasa-style yoga retreat, helping us transfer the mindfulness we learn on our yoga mat into our everyday life.

    For all the details follow the link below.

    Read more
    February 2023

  • 20 – 27 October 2017

    Raw Love Awakening Retreat

    Raw Love Awakening is for you if you are on a journey to find your inner truth and  – a connection with your higher self. This is a raw food retreat which draws on the ‘high vibrational energy’ of raw food, movement, meditation and awareness, to bring you an experience of love, peace, health and inspiration. Join Gabriela Lerner and her team of experienced practitioners for 7 days that will leave you peaceful, empowered and ready to live your life with integrity and from your heart. What’s included in the retreat:

    Gabriela’s teachings on the 6 Prayers of Raw Love Awakening

    Delicious freshly prepared, nutrient-rich raw vegan cuisine

    Kundalini yoga, Meditation and Nia classes

    Time to relax and sunbathe in the tropical gardens or on the beach

    Boat trip to secluded bays and beaches and waterfall walks

    A Thai Body massage

    The fundamentals of wellness – food, exercise, clarity of mind and spirituality – are the foundations of your 7-day stay, and are further inspired by the spectacular scenery of Tobago and the beautiful landscaped gardens at Castara Retreats. This Retreat is for men and women who want to connect with who they really are. You already know that health is not just the absence of disease, but that it includes your body, mind and spirit. The Raw Love Awakening Retreat is so-called because the focus of this retreat is LOVE in all its forms. It is about the awareness and truth that each one of us can awaken to love in many different ways, in each and every moment. “Raw” refers to the way in which this awakening is activated. All meals are 100% raw food and vegan for a reason: eating food in its purest, most natural state is the most powerful and high vibrational way that we can consume it. When we fill our body with food of this pure and high energy, we awaken at a cellular level and this has a profound and far reaching ripple effect on our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies. This creates the perfect environment to connect and stay connected to the pure and transformational vibration of love.

     

     

    This Retreat is for you if:

    You are already interested in human potential and spirituality and want to take your journey deeper

    You love the idea of being surrounded by nature and luxury as you take this journey

    You really feel the call to rest, rejuvenate and reinvent yourself to at least some degree, and are open to growth and learning on many levels

    It excites you and lights you up to imagine spending a week being nourished and nurtured with the knowledge that this will ultimately also impact on the health

    You want to connect with other like-minded people and feel part of a community

    All activities at the retreat are specifically designed to help you connect on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level. Join Gabriela and her team for this extraordinary experience. Find out more on Gabriela’s website here.

    June 2017

  • Yoga Retreat – 20 – 30 July 2017

    Let go of stresses and strains of daily life, and come join us at one of our yoga retreats in our fabulous new purpose-built studio space, with sweeping views across to the Caribbean Sea.

    Flowing with the Elements - Yoga Retreat with Davin Jones and Emese Fodor

    Davin and Emese are qualified yoga teachers who combine their skills to offer a unique yoga experience. This retreat is open to all, from beginners to more experienced yoga practitioners, and promotes a healthy lifestyle, positive thinking, and motivation to live your life to the fullest. Rejuvenate with daily yoga and stay at Castara Retreats and all that is on offer in terms of quality accommodation, friendly staff, and spectacular location.

    This retreat is family-friendly, meaning that if you have friends or family who want a Caribbean holiday, but not a yoga retreat, we are finding that this works perfectly well, as there is lots of time in the day to hang out together as a family, as well as maintaining commitment to your daily yoga schedule.

    Highlights of the retreat include:

    Daily Yin yoga classes

    Daily Vinyasa yoga classes

    Guided meditation sessions

    Special workshops with Davin and Emese

    Ten nights’ accommodation

    Delicious and healthy daily meals prepared by Caribbean Kitchen

    Airport transfers

    Davin and Emese will organise the retreat together to offer the balance and unity of the feminine (Shakti-creativity) and the masculine (Shiva-consciousness) which are the great energies of life. They like to combine their passion and speciality to offer a unique experience with diverse classes and workshops.

    Davin’s passion is alignment, inversions, and hand-balances, and Emese loves to share her creativity by building sequences with flowing movements, and a unique ‘yogadance’ style, working with the symbols, elements of chakras, and nature.

    Prices from £1,350 for 10 nights’ accommodation, food, and yoga sessions.

    Find our more here.

     

    May 2017
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