Saba: The Unspoiled Queen

We just got back from 8 wonderful days on Saba! We booked this trip over 6 months ago and had been counting the down the days leading up to it. Saba far exceeded our expectations and we’ll definitely be back. What a unique island! We loved absolutely everything about it & have a lot to share. Saba is a different world and a step back to a simpler time. Everything about the island is peaceful and charming from the Saban cottages, to the small shops and restaurants, to the island’s road that winds through all four villages. There’s one main road called ‘The Road’ that starts at the airport and winds through the four villages on the island:

1. Zion’s Hill a.k.a Hell’s Gate – this is the first one you’ll pass driving up from the airport. We didn’t spend any time here, just drove through it on arrival and departure.
2. The Bottom – the largest village and also the capital. All of the government offices are here as well as the medical school. We drove through here every day on our way to the harbor to meet the dive boat. The main area had quite a few restaurants & shops and it’s also where “The Queen’s Garden” resort is located.
3. St. John’s – we just drove through here … this village is mostly residential. The island’s schools are also located here.
4. The Windwardside –  this the area we stayed in and we loved everything about it. If you stay on the Windwardside, you’ll be within walking distance to everything in the village. There’s a good variety of restaurants, the two dive shops have store fronts here too (Sea Saba has one in The Bottom too), two grocery stores, a bakery, a bank (with ATM), church & gift shop. There’s even a spa that advertised manicures, pedicures, etc. You can find everything you’ll need for your stay here and it’s all within a few blocks. The trail center is in town too and the base of the Mt. Scenery trail is a 2 minute walk from the center.

It’s fair to say that Saba isn’t for everyone … if you’re looking for beaches check out St. Maarten or Anguilla instead. There’s virtually no access to the ocean on Saba other than by boat. There are a couple of hiking trails that lead to the water but there’s really no where you can swim or lounge. This also isn’t a place to come for nightlife. Other than Friday night Sabaoake at Scout’s Place there isn’t much nightlife to speak of. We were in bed by 9:00 every night reading books & listening to the tree frogs.

That’s it for now! Stay tuned for more posts on Saba covering how to get there, what to do, where to eat & stay, and last but certainly not least, the diving!

Warm thoughts to all!