Overview

What's a Caribbean island without a beach? Well, visitors who fall in love with this cliff-lined Dutch island don't seem to mind the lack of sand - or, for that matter, the lack of resorts, casinos, nightlife, and shopping malls. Perhaps it's the handful of charming, alpine-like villages set in the steep tropical landscape, or the extraordinary diving in Saba Marine Park, which surrounds the island. Or more likely, it's simply the way time seems to slow down here.

It's a small island (about 5 square miles) and less than 1,500 people live here, in a trio of hamlets - Hell's Gate, Windwardside, and The Bottom - connected by a single winding road (called, logically enough, The Road) and inviting footpaths. Most visitors stay in Windwardside, which has the most accommodations and restaurants, as well as the modest Saba Museum, set in a 19th-century island cottage. In addition to diving and walking from village to village (the islanders all speak English), the incurably restless can explore the coastline by kayak or even tackle a number of rock climb/bouldering routes.

But to be honest, many visitors come here to practice the fine art of doing very little. Maybe that's why Saba has been called the best small island in the West Indies...

 Plan Your Trip

DIVING

The names alone give you a clue: Third Encounter, Twilight Zone, and Outer Limits. Perhaps the most famous of the nearly 30 moored diving sites in the marine park, this trio of seamounts and pinnacles off the west coast offers an otherworldly opportunity to swim with sharks, manta rays, even humpback whales at a depth of about 90 to 120 feet. The most spectacular? Swim out toward the blue abyss from Third Encounter to Eye of the Needle, a coral-adorned pinnacle rising dramatically more than 200 feet toward the surface.

HIKING

Plan some Stair-Stepper workouts before you leave home. In Windwardside, start early for the hike up Mount Scenery (nice name, eh?), which climbs (count them), 1,064 concrete and stone steps through a cloud forest. Trailside signs identify the plant life (ferns, palms, orchids, and begonias). At the 2,855-foot summit, count your blessings if clouds don't obscure the view of the surrounding islands of St. Eustatius, St. Martin, St. Kitts, St. Barths, and Nevis.

SHOPPING

You may suffer from mall withdrawal, but shopping on Saba does have its moments. To get in the proper spirit, start with a taste of Saba Spice, a sweet, rum-and-spice liquor brewed in many local kitchens. Then head for the village shops, where you'll find samplings of the island's exquisite lace, from small napkins to full tablecloths (the community center in Hell's Gate has the widest selection on weekends), and artwork (especially watercolors).

 Forums

 Related Articles