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| Situated
28 miles southwest of St. Maarten (main hub for international flights)
in the north east of the Dutch West Indies, the 5sq mile island of Saba
is known as the "Unspoiled Queen" of the Caribbean. Rising majestically out of the sea to a height of nearly 3 thousand feet Saba, although small in footprint, has much to offer: amazing dive sites below and abundant rainforest above... A single road straddles the south side of the Island linking its few villages, the north side of the island runs wild... |
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| History 1493 Columbus discovers Saba; except for the Carib Indians (who may have lived here around AD 800) Saba was uninhabited. 1640 Dutch settlers arrived from St. Eustatius (Statia). 1816
The Dutch flag is raised after Saba had changed hands 12 times whilst
French, Dutch, English and Spanish had vied for control. |
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REMIS
VELISQUE literally: "with oars & sails" figuratively: "with all one's might" |
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1940's
Sabans are very proud and resourceful. In the early days settlers carved
900 steps out of the mountainside to the “customs house”
to get from Fort Bay to the Bottom. Everything from the Queen of Holland
to pianos had to be carried up by hand. Those rugged steps were the
only way to transport goods to the Islanders. |
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| A more
practical supply network had to be arranged. Josephus Lambert
Hassell, a carpenter who took correspondence courses in engineering
convinced Sabans and the Dutch authorities alike that a road on Saba was
not just the stuff of a madman's dreams... Known as the "road that
couldn't be built" (by Dutch Civil Engineers) construction lasted
25 years as no automated or heavy machinery could be used. Many of the
people who worked on the construction are still resident on Saba up to
this day. |
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1980's The Saba Marine and Conservation foundations are established by renowned environmentalist Tom van't Hof. With Marine & Conservation foundations in place tourism tentatively crept onto the island. Today Saba is renowned
throughout the world for its unique wildlife and pristine dive sites. |
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The
majority of the islanders today come from a Caribbean, Dutch, English
or Irish background. There is a small expatriate population on the island
who maintain second homes or have set up dive or tourism related businesses. |
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Kingdom of the Netherlands comprises three entities: Holland, the Netherlands
Antilles (Saba, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius, Bonaire, and Curaçao),
and Aruba. Saba's local administration supervises internal affairs and
has recently voted to have a direct representative in Holland. |
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| Diving | ||
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| Saba
is home to some of the best diving in the Caribbean and is consistently
rated among the top three diving destinations in the region and within
the top ten world wide.
Saba’s worlds famous “Pinnacles” are underwater seamounts that start at depths of around 110 ft. Due to the depths they are pristine with excellent coral and abundant sea life. Saba’s shallower sites offer beautiful coral formations and ledges to swim through, you'll be surrounded by a healthy diversity of underwater life. |
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| Hiking | ||
| For
the non-diver Saba has many “above sea” activities, from hiking
Saba’s well marked trails, searching for the elusive Red-billed
Tropicbird or cliff climbing. There is something for every outdoor enthusiast.
The trails are the original thoroughfares of the island. Visit the Saba Tourism's web site for more in depth information. |
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| Dining Saba has some great places to eat. You'll be surprised at the quality and diversity of the cuisine (not to mention the value for money). All establishments accept either US Dollars or Netherlands Antillean Guilders (n.a.f.). exchange rate ($1.00 = 1.8 n.a.f) |
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| Brigadoon
Great local seafood and prime USDA steaks. It has the only live lobster tank on the island which is stocked regularly with locally fished lobsters from the Saba banks. |
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| The Owners Michael and Trish are avid photographers and scuba divers. Ask to see Michael’s slide show towards the end of the evening when he's finished serving his very popular menu. | ||
Monday from 5.30p.m. is the time for a weekly presentation by Sea Saba Dive Center, a very informative slide show on the history of Saba and the characteristics of her dive sites. It's a must for first time visitors and return tourists, the show is constantly updated to include Saba's breaking environmental news. Thursday is prime rib night. Saturday is Saba's only Sushi night. Opened every night of the week (except Tuesdays) from 6:30 p.m. Reservations recommended. All major Credit Cards excepted. |
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| The
Swinging Doors Saba’s one and only “Country & Western saloon”. Husband and wife team Eddie and Pat have a policy on the music they play, Country & Western only, he has a massive collection so even if it's not your kind of music, there'll always be a tune you'll leave with... humming and whistling you on your way. |
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Tuesday and Friday nights it's B.B.Q. where Eddie cooks excellent ribs and chicken over an open charcoal grill. $10.00 per person for ribs, chicken or a combo served with fried rice, baked beans and a smile. Sunday night
it's Steak Night. $16.00 for a rib eye steak, baked potato
with butter, sour cream and side salad. Due to its popularity with tourists
and Sabans alike reservations are definitely recommended on Tuesday,
Friday and Sunday for food. |
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| Saba's
Treasure One of the newest additions to Saba’s dining scene Saba T's has quickly established itself as a popular place for food and drink. Marvi and Chris Johnson turn out the best pizza (either eat in or take out) on the island. They also serve great sandwiches, salads and burgers. |
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Chris has an abundant rock collection of blues and classic rock CDs, which makes for enjoyable listening & a great atmosphere. Robbie Lynn, local artist, designed the interior around a historical nautical theme with lots of interesting old articles and pictures of Saba. Be sure to check out the book on the bar put together by Chris's father Commissioner Will Johnson, Will is an avid historian on all things related to Saba and has put together an interesting collection of memorabilia from the island. Open 10 to 10 p.m. everyday except Sunday. Cash only. |
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Tropics
Café |
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| Friday’s
movie night. for $10.00 you'll get a great burger (USDA Beef, Chicken,
Fish or Veggie), a large portion of fries and admission to Saba’s
one and only outdoor big screen cinema, where owners Wim and Johanna screen
the latest blockbusters. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner from 7 a.m. till late at night. Closed Monday’s for lunch and dinner. Reservations recommended for dinner. All major credit cards excepted. |
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| Rainforest
Restaurant Dine in one of the most romantic settings Saba has to offer, high up on the outskirts of the rainforest, candle light and the sounds of nature are all around you. |
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Tuesday
they
have an authentic Indonesian “Rijsttafel”. Rijsttafel, which
literally translates to “rice table”, is a combination of
about a dozen different dishes served with white rice. The dishes include
such delicious Indonesian specialties as curried beef, pork in soy sauce,
chicken sate with peanut sauce, shrimps or fish with lemongrass and
coconut milk, omelet with sweet and sour sauce, christophenes in coconut
cream, pickled cucumbers, carrots and onions, beans in a spicy coconut
milk sauce, peanuts with grated coconut, plus a variety of other condiments
prepared with spices from the Far East. |
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| My
Kitchen My Kitchen's host is Willem who'll greet you with a friendly smile... friendly service and great food is the trademark of this restaurant that has a definite European atmosphere. Open air, surrounded by tropical foliage and located above the Sea Saba dive shop. Open six days a week for lunch and dinner (closed sunday). All major credit cards excepted. |
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| The
Gate House French born Michel & Lyliane serve both traditional French and Caribbean inspired cuisine, you can dine inside or outside where a spectacular view of St. Martin and the neighboring islands awaits you. They take great pride in their vintage wine collection and have been awarded the prestigious "Wine Spectator Award" for having one of the top wine list in the world for the past four years running! Ask at our reception to arrange a wine tasting! Open daily. All major credit cards excepted. |
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| Pop’s
Place Located at Saba's only harbor Fort Bay, where there's always lot's of activity, you can kick back & relax as others go about there work. It's a great place to hang out between dives and serves without doubt the best fresh lobster sandwich on the island, because of it's popularity it's wise to order early because when it's gone it's gone. Open daily. Cash only. |
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| Travel The gateway to Saba is St. Maarten. From
the U.S.: From the
U. K.& Europe: From St. Maarten: |
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| Weather Warm, but tempered by cooling trade winds. The annual mean temperature is 27°C (80°F), varying by no more than two or three degrees throughout the year; average rainfall is 1667mm. The temperature can drop to 16°C (60°F) on winter evenings. When climbing Mount Scenery, the temperature will drop by approximately 0.2°C (0.4°F) for each 100m (330ft) gained in altitude. Click here for a local forecast |
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| Bring
Along Bird Watching A good pair of binoculars and guidebook is essential to experience Saba's abundant bird life. Camera and Film Bring plenty of film along with extra batteries for your camera. It's less expensive and more convenient to bring your own. If you do run out, film and batteries can be obtained in most gift and convenient stores. Keep film in a cool dry place. Clothing Daytime temperature on Saba averages 80F, give or take a few degrees. Evenings often require a light sweater due to the altitude at which Windwardside is located; make sure to bring along a sun hat to protect your skin from the harsh Caribbean sun. Footwear Pack your hiking boots or hard rubber soled shoes for hiking and sandals for leisurely walking. Diving and Snorkeling Equipment Bring your own or leave it at home. It's your preference. Many divers prefer to bring their own dive gear; however, if you decide not to you can be assured that each dive shop will meet your equipment needs. Eyewear and Care Bright Sunny days necessitate sunglasses. Lens lubricant for some contact lens wearers may not be readily available on island. Bring along plenty of eye lubricant and wetting, soaking and cleaning solution. Sunscreens and Lotions It's necessary to protect your skin from the sun's ultraviolet rays. Temperatures are generally balmy but you're also exposed to strong ultraviolet rays. Pack plenty sunscreen. In case you forgot to pack the sunscreen, you’ll have no difficulty finding some at either the grocery stores or dive shops. Just in case Photocopy important documents such as passport, drivers license, credit cards, prescription medication forms, airline ticket and other essential information. Always pack prescription medication in your carry-on. Banking The official currency is the NAF (Antillean Guilder) exchanged at about NAFL 1.80 = $1.00 US. Travelers cheques and US dollars, as well as major credit cards, are widely accepted. Two branch banks are open on Saba from 8:30am to 3:00pm. There is one ATM machine on the island located in the center of Windwardside Electricity
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