SABA

The island has accommodations to suit every style and budget - from intimate boutique hotels to luxury villas and charming cottages. Foodies can savor gastronomic options ranging from casual to stylish, while enjoying our fresh seafood and the famous Saba lobster.

Saba’s wealth stretches beyond its island boundaries. Its surrounding waters contain a unique marine ecosystem renowned for the biodiversity of its marine life and are recognized to be among the world’s finest marine parks and diving sites. So whether you’re here to dive, hike, or to relax, rejuvenate and invigorate, we are pleased to have you visit us and hope you can share your experience with family and friends.

Your Your island adventure and Caribbean dream awaits!

Malinda Hassell Director of Tourism

SABA: THE CARIBBEAN’S RARE + UNSPOILED JEWEL

SSaba sits majestically on the horizon like a rare green jewel floating on the shimmering blue tropical sea. It is a magical place that lures the adventurous traveler with her stunning verdant silhouette soaring 5000 feet from the ocean floor; 3000 feet sits above sea level. Although a mere five square miles, this extinct volcanic island is filled with extraordinary natural wonders perfectly in harmony with its fascinating history and culture. Twice named “Best Caribbean Island” by Travel + Leisure Magazine, Saba is that rare place in the modern world that satisfies the intrepid soul as well as those seeking gentle pleasures. The island’s Old-World Caribbean charm, lyrical pace and stunning beauty provide respite for those who desire to disconnect from life’s hectic pace.

Getting There

To explore Saba, you must get here.

The most extraordinary approach is by air. Winair pilots take off from St. Maarten for the twelve-minute flight. It is simply poetic floating above the Caribbean Sea heading to Saba’s soaring peak on the horizon. Just as you can almost touch the mountain, the plane cuts a dramatic 180 degree on to Juancho E.Yrausquin Airport’s 400-meter runway, considered the world’s shortest commercial air strip. You can also travel to Saba by ferry from Sint Maarten. Once past customs, just hop in a local taxi and begin to explore one of the earth’s most graceful places.

Please check with the airline and Ferry for current schedules, for entry more information on entry requirements visit www.sabatourism.com

Island History

As you ascend and descend the “Road”, you are surrounded by Saba’s magnificent natural and man-made wonders. Lush tropical foliage, brilliant flowers and fairy tale architecture fill the mountainsides and valleys. The entire island is exceptionally unspoiled and beautifully maintained, reflective of the locals’ deep sense of pride in their home and history.

Many of the intrepid Sabans are descent from lineages dating to the 1600s when English sailors shipwrecked on the jagged shore. Over the centuries, Saba tossed between Dutch and English ownership, with the Dutch winning out. Once a haven for marauding pirates, the island’s eclectic blend of Dutch, African, English, Scottish and Irish eventually settled into a quite harmony focused on seamanship and fishing. It was a rugged life as the only roads were stone trails leading up from the sea into the remote villages accessed only by foot and donkey. Until 1943, there was no proper road. Saban Josephus “Lambee” Hassel dismissed the Dutch and Swiss engineers who said a road could never be built. Via an engineering correspondence course and the help of fellow islanders, the “Road”, as it is affectionately known, was built in stages from 1943 to 1958.