Saba Tourist Places to Visit in Saba, Netherlands Antilles, America
Saba is an island as well as the smallest special municipality of the Netherlands geographically positioned between 17°38′ N latitude and 63°14′ W longitude. The Bottom is the capital and largest city of Saba. Saba houses A.M. Edwards Medical Center and Saba University School of Medicine which is one of the major universities in the Caribbean.
Geography of Saba:
Saba is spread over an area of 13 sq. km and the main settlements of Saba are The Bottom, Hell’s Gate, St. Johns and Windwardside.
History of Saba:
It is believed that, the name Saba may be derived from the Arabic language. Saba was sighted by Christopher Columbus on 13th November 1493 and later British landed in 1632, later French claimed it in 1635 and finally Dutch took the full control of Saba in 1816. Saba became a special municipality of the Netherlands when Netherlands Antilles was dissolved on 10th October 2010.
Connectivity to Saba:
Saba is served by only airport on the island, Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport which is catered by Winair (regular flights to Sint Eustatius, Saint Maarten and charter flights to Anguilla) and Anguilla Air Services (charter flights to Anguilla only). JEYA is situated around 7 km away from capital city, The Bottom. Taxis are available at the airport.
Dawn II (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays) and The Edge (Wednesday to Sunday) are the major boat operators between Saba and Saint Martin.
The major car rentals in Saba include:
- Caja’s Car Rental
- Morgan’s Car Rental
Culture, Food and Shopping in Saba:
The culture of Saba is inherited from Dutch, Scottish, and African. Dutch is the official language and English is widely communicated language all around the island.
Saba houses numerous standard shops with branded and latest products. The famous food corners in Saba are:
- Tropic’s Cafe
- Bistro del Mare
- Restaurant Eden
- Swinging Doors
- Scout’s Place Restaurant & Bar
Things to do in Saba:
- Diving
- Snorkeling
- Hiking
Places of interest in Saba:
Mount Scenery:
The Mount Scenery is the highest point on both Saba and the Kingdom of the Netherlands sited at an elevation of 887 meters. It is clearly visible from Windwardside, a town in Saba. Morning is the best time of the day to hike up.
Saba National Marine Park:
The Saba National Marine Park covers an area of around 5 square miles with a wide range of fish species such as the Atlantic blue tang, black durgon, barracuda and parrotfish. Tourists can also spot stingrays, Octopus and turtles in the park. Visitors are needed to pay $5 as an entrance fee.
Saba Government House:
The Saba Government House is one of the major landmarks in Saba. It was established in the pleasant area, backed by large trees, and the outer structure of the house looks very nice.
Other places of interest near Saba:
- Diamond Rock
- Tent Reef Wall
- Twilight Zone
- The Bottom
- Tide Pools at Flat Point
- Hell’s Gate
- Hell’s Gate Community Center
- Holy Rosary Church
- Shark Shoal
- Torrens Point
- Hole in the Corner
- Christ Church
- Harry L. Johnson Museum
Best time to visit Saba:
From December to April will be the ideal time to visit Saba.
Accommodation options in Saba:
Due to the visit of around 25,000 tourists every year, there are plenty of inns, hotels and rental cottages established all round the island for visitors convenience. A list of the major hotels in Saba includes:
- Juliana’s Hotel
- Shearwater Resort
- The Cottage Club
- Scout’s Place Hotel
- Selera Dunia Boutique Hotel
- The Gate House
- Cranston’s Antique Inn
- Queen’s Gardens Resort
- El Momo Cottages
- Ecolodge Rendez-Vous
- Mountain Spring Villas
- Scout’s Place
- Cottage Club