If you ever visit the Eastern Caribbean Island of St. Martin you should allow 2 to 3 days to visit Saba, which is a Dutch Island that is 52.1 KMs from St. Martin. The best way to access this Island is by plane with the only flights being from St. Martin.
The plane ride itself is quite special as you will be landing on the shortest International runway in the world. Both sides of the runway drop off into the abyss. As you land you can feel yourself tensing up wondering if the plane will stop on time.
Taking off is even more exhilarating, as once you leave the tarmac the plane momentarily drops off the edge before shooting upwards.
Saba is pure magic and this unknown island should not be missed. Only 1800 people live here and you will stumble across the same people repeatedly. It’s why the person who handles the check-ins at the airport, is also the who works for customs and will stamp your passport.
Saba reminds me of a village in a long by-gone era. By law all of the buildings have to be painted the same color. That’s red roofs with white walls. This really gives the impression of being inside a Fred Flintstone village.
We stayed at the Queens Garden Resort & SPA which is a luxurious resort with first-class service. The views were spectacular as can be seen below.
There’s not that many activities to do on island. This island does not have beaches what it does have are beautiful mountains and lush forest. This makes the island perfect for hiking. The peak of Mt. Scenery is 877 meters which makes for a nice hike.
The island is not very big either. In one day we decided to cover the entire island. We hiked from our hotel to the summit of Mt. Scenery and then we hiked the entire road that goes around the island. On that day we hiked 22 kms and essentially hiked the entire island. This was quite exhausting as the road goes up and down quite considerably. You can see part of the road on the left of the picture below.
Saba is probably my most memorable Caribbean vacation I have experienced. I loved how unique the island was, and how beautiful the surroundings were. It’s also well known for diving something we didn’t do any of on this trip. I would absolutely recommend this island to anyone who is looking for a unique Caribbean escape.
Wow! Saba could really be a great place for vacation. I love such places where one can feel nature! The aesthetics is what I can’t really describe, looks so good. I’d love to visit Saba Some days.