Destinations / Saba

It's somewhat ironic that most visitors come to Saba, a soaring volcano peak that reaches into the clouds, just to go the opposite direction--diving hundreds of feet down into the bottomless depths of Saba's marine park. More than 30 dive sites encircle Saba, many of which are pinnacles or vertical walls that extend into limitless underwater canyons.

However, one can hardly imagine a more romantic location for a wedding or honeymoon than Saba.

The island offers an unusual variety of venues for a unique ceremony. Recent tourist weddings have taken place on board a yacht moored in the Saba National Marine Park, on the spacious meadow at the Johnson Museum in Windwardside, in the graceful wrought iron gazebo at Queen's Garden, around the pool side at Juliana's, and at sunset in private villas with wonderful sea views. Saba's churches are also available.

LOCATION :

Saba is located in the eastern Caribbean, between Anguilla in the north and Nevis & St. Kitts in the south.

LANGUAGE :

Dutch and English

CURRENCY :

Netherland Antilles Florin or guilder

TIPPING :

A service charge of 10% or 15% will be added to your bill. For taxis and guides, tip at your own discretion.

ELECTRICITY :

110 volts/60 cycles - same as the U.S.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Diving the pinnacles of the Saba Marine Park
• Drinking Saba Spice, the local spiced rum concoction
• Bringing home Saba lace, hand-stitched by the island women

OVERVIEW
It's somewhat ironic that most visitors come to Saba, a soaring volcano peak that reaches into the clouds, just to go the opposite direction - diving hundreds of feet down into the bottomless depths of Saba's marine park. More than 30 sites encircle Saba, many of which are pinnacles or vertical walls that extend into limitless underwater canyons.

Don't pack a beach bag if you're going to Saba, because there aren't any beaches on this little Dutch isle in the Windward chain. Round as a wheel of Edam cheese and just as mild, Saba soars nearly 3,000 feet out of the water. The capital, The Bottom, is slightly inland and, oddly, upward. At 820 feet above sea level, it is one of the lowest villages on this steeply pitched island.

A rain forest thrives in the crater of Mount Scenery, an extinct volcano in the center of the island that reaches 2,900 up from sea level. Hikers access this lush jungle - the place where the original Tarzan movie was filmed -- by climbing the 1,064 steps to the top.

If you peer into one of the green-shuttered windows of the boxy white houses on Saba, you just might catch the lady of the house brewing a batch of rum liqueur called Saba Spice or sewing the island's treasured lace.

There is no nightlife to speak of, save for divers sharing their tales of the day's adventures and watching the sun set.

GEOGRAPHY

Topography: Saba's landscape is nothing more than the steeply angled slopes of Mt. Scenery. This smallest of the Netherlands Antilles is dry on the western side and tropical on the eastern. The mountainous interior is lush jungle grown over with ferns, palms, mahogany trees, oleander, hibiscus and orchids.

Climate: The average monthly temperature is 80º F, with with little summer-winter variation. Because of the elevation nights tend to cool off substantially and temperatures are cooler in Windwardside than in The Bottom.

HISTORY
Saba was the site of an English shipweck in 1632. The first settlers, however, were Dutch. Beginning in the late 1600s, possession of the island alternated between Britain and France. It was returned to the Dutch in the early 1800s.

WEBSITE :

www.sabatourism.com

CAPITAL :

The Bottom

TOURIST INFORMATION :

599-416-2231

POLITICAL STATUS :

Member of the Netherland Antilles

AREA SIZE :

5 sq miles

TAXES :

There is a departure tax of $20 ($5 within the Netherland Antilles)Government room tax of 5% is automatically added to your bill.

AREA CODE :

To call Saba from the U.S. you would dial 011-599-4 plus the five digit local number, where 011 is the International access code, 599 is the country code for the Netherlands Antilles, 4 is the city code for Saba.

TIME :

Atlantic Standard (Eastern Standard + 1 hour).

DOCUMENTS :

A valid passport, birth certificate or voter's registration is needed to enter as well as a return or ongoing ticket.

POPULATION :

1,200

AVERAGE WATER TEMPERATURE :

75-82 degrees

AVERAGE VISIBILITY :

75ft in summer 120 ft in winter

TYPES OF DIVING :

Shore, Boat

BEST TIME TO DIVE :

May to October

WHAT TO WEAR :

The water is warm enough to wear a skin on shallower dives and a 1.5 mm on deeper dives or in cooler months.

DIVES NOT TO MISS :

Custom's House Reef is a deep patch reef inhabited with dozens of barracudas. Diamond Rock has abundant marine life including sting rays, black tip and bull sharks. Hole in the Corner is a shallow Elkhorn forest and Tent Reef wall, Tedran Reef and Core Gut, which are all wall dives, are not to be missed.