Saba travel guide and vacation resources
An extinct volcano with no beaches or flat land, cone-shaped Saba is 13 sq. km (5 3/4 sq. miles) of rock carpeted with lush foliage like orchids, giant elephant ears, and Eucharist lilies. At its zenith, Mount Scenery, it measures 870m (2,854 ft.). Under the sea, the volcanic walls continue a sheer drop to great depths, making for some of the most panoramic diving in the Caribbean. Unless you're a serious hiker or diver, you might confine your look at Saba to a day trip from St. Maarten. If you're a self-sufficient type who demands almost no artificial amusement, then sleepy Saba might be your hideaway. One of the smallest islands of the Netherlands Antilles, Saba is 242km (150 miles) east of Puerto Rico and 145km (90 miles) east of St. Croix. Most visitors fly from St. Maarten, 45km (28 miles) to the north. The official language of Saba is Dutch, but because so many English missionaries and Scottish seamen from the Shetland Islands settled here, Saba has always been English-speaking. All those European settlers have resulted in a population that is 60% Caucasian, many with red hair and freckled fair skin. Tidy white houses cling to the mountainside, and small family cemeteries adjoin each dwelling. Lace-curtained, gingerbread-trimmed cottages give a Disneyland aura. The first jeep arrived on Saba in 1947. Before that, Sabans went about on foot, climbing from village to village. Hundreds of steps had been chiseled out of the rock by the early Dutch settlers in the 1640s. Past storybook villages, "The Road" goes over the crest to The Bottom. Derived from the Dutch word botte, which means "bowl-shaped," this village is nestled on a plateau 240m (787 ft.) above the sea, which is surrounded by rocky volcanic domes. It's also the official capital of Saba, a charming Dutch village of chimneys, gabled roofs, and gardens. From The Bottom, you can take a taxi up the hill to the mountain village of Windwardside, perched on the crest of two ravines about 541m (1,774 ft.) above sea level. This village of red-roofed houses, the second most important on Saba, is the site of the two biggest inns and most of the shops. From Windwardside, you can climb steep steps cut in the rock to yet another village, Hell's Gate, teetering on the edge of a mountain. There's also a serpentine road from the airport to Hell's Gate, where you'll find the island's largest church. Only the most athletic climb from here to the lip of the volcanic crater.
|
|
Saba Vacations site
Our company is running one of the largest pc and mobile travel website networks, covering top hotel, vacation package, airline ticket, beach, cruise, all inclusive and honeymoon destinations worldwide.
We will also run a travel blog portal which centralises the blogs posted by our visitors on all of our websites and which represents one of the world's best travel information resources, totally build by people such as yourself.
In the link section, you can check more links to our travel website network as well as to other third party specialized websites as lastminute.com or orbitz.com which we suggest you to visit if are you planning a trip to Saba .
|
