Known for fresh seafood, friendly people, a coastline dotted with hidden beaches, and some of the best surfing spots in the Caribbean, the tiny fishing village of Toco, on Trinidad’s northeast coast, is now shining on the international stage as the hometown of an Olympic champion.
Commanding headlines worldwide, 19-year-old Keshorn Walcott ascended into Olympic glory after becoming the youngest winner of Olympic gold in the javelin event.
The first Trinidad and Tobago representative to win Olympic gold since Hasley Crawford captured the men’s 100 meter in 1976, he is also the first non-European to win the men’s javelin since 1952.
Walcott, who is the reigning world junior champion, started his road to fame four years ago by hurling bamboo sticks on the beaches near his home. Today, the Toco Lighthouse, an iconic tourist site on Trinidad’s rugged eastern coastline, bears his name.
Recently refurbished into a sight to behold, the Toco Lighthouse is just one of many amazing attractions of the community which birthed Walcott, who is being hailed as an Olympic hero.
The area’s rich natural attributes have played a great part in attracting visitors to its wonderfully wild landscape, but the genuine warmth and hospitality the villages and communities is what sets Toco apart.
Located where the Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean, Toco is a popular destination for local holidaymakers who flock to the village for its relaxed way of life and to partake in generous servings of the community’s tasty culinary legacy of the freshest seafood, herbs, and produce.
Toco is also known for picturesque spots such as Balandra Bay and Big Bay, beaches framed by ribbons of golden sand trimmed with coconut, almond and sea grape trees, the historic Toco Lighthouse, and now young Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott.
PHOTO: UPPER LEFT – Keshorn Walcott (center), Olympic Gold Medalist in the javelin event, receives a CD from popular soca artist Machel Montano (left); LOWER LEFT – Keshorn Walcott Toco Lighthouse; RIGHT – One of many coves along the Toco coastline
