tourism

The island of Saba is known today for tourism, especially its ecotourism. Because the island is relatively new to the tourism industry, it only sees about 25,000 visitors each year. Saba is increasing in its popularity as a vacation destination because of its excellent scuba diving, climbing and hiking. The scuba diving in particular is deep and somewhat challenging; even though Saba is a small island it actually supports not one, but two Hyperbaric chambers in case of diving emergencies. There are few anchorages, and a small airport with service from St. Maarten. There is also ferry service from St. Maarten. The ferries Dawn II and The Edge both travel to Saba three times a week. Saba’s brilliantly colorful and pristine coral life make it one of the most sublime places to scuba dive in the world, and is often listed as one of the Top 10 diving destinations. Many attribute the underwater life’s purity to the island’s remoteness and the caring of the people. The waters around the island were designated as the Saba National Marine Park in 1987, subject to government regulation to preserve its coral reefs and other marine life. Thus, Saba is known as the “Unspoiled Queen” of the Caribbean.

Transport

There is one road, aptly called “The Road”. Its construction was masterminded by Josephus Lambert Hassell who, despite the common opinion of Dutch and Swiss engineers, believed that a road could be built.He took a correspondence course in civil engineering, and started building the road with a crew of locals in 1938. After five years of work, the first section of the road, from Fort Bay to The Bottom, was completed. It was not until 1947, however, that the first motor vehicle arrived. In 1951, the road to Windwardside and St. Johns was opened, and in 1958 the road was completed. Driving “The Road” is considered to be a daunting occasion, and the curves in Windwardside are extremely difficult. Driving is on the right hand side.

Netherlands Antilles

Netherlands Antilles (De Nederlandse Antillen) – Dutch autonomous territory in the Small Antilles (Central America), including 5 islands in the Caribbean Sea: two more off the coast of Venezuela, Curaçao (444 square km) and Bonaire (288 square kilometers) and three smaller east of Puerto Rico (Leeward Islands): Saba (13 km ²), Sint Eustatius (21 square kilometers) and the southern part of Sint Maarten (34 square kilometers) – the northern part belongs to France and is known as Saint-Martin.

Form of government

Constitutional parliamentary democratic monarchy. Saba is part of the Netherlands Antilles, as well as Bonaire, Curacao, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten. The Netherlands Antilles, Aruba and the Netherlands have as autonomous regions with the same internal self-government status within the Dutch Kingdom. The Dutch Queen is represented by a governor, while the Netherlands Antilles to a general authorized ministers in the government of the Kingdom of dispatch. Foreign and defense policy by the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of decision, in which the ministers will not of the Netherlands Antilles is represented. Headquarters of the Central Government of the Netherlands Antilles is Willemstad (Curacao). The Parliament (Staten) of the islands is responsible for domestic policy legislation – Saba elect one of the 22 members. The routine affairs of each island (Bonaire, Curacao and the group of the Windward Islands) are on the Island under the supervision of the vice governor executed.

Geography

The environment of Saba is mainly composed of woodland forest with ferns and damp soil, and many mango trees. There used to be forests of Mahogany trees until a hurricane in the 1960s destroyed many of the trees. The Mahogany trees are considered at risk of going extinct on the island. Visitors refer to Saba’s forests as “the Elfin Forest” because of its high altitude mist and mossy appearance. Since then there has been a woodland reserve created and aptly named “Elfin Forest Reserve”. Saba’s lush plant and animal wildlife are diverse and are looked after by the Saba Conservation Foundation.

4.3 km southwest of Saba is the Saba Bank, a large submerged atoll of rich biodiversity, and a prime fishing ground, particularly for lobster.

History

The origin of the name “Saba” is believed to be a variant of Dutch for “shoe”, because the major industry of the island was shoemaking when visited by the Dominican monk Jean-Baptiste Labat in 1701. Another theory is that the island’s name is derived from the Arawak Indian word for “rock”, which was “siba”. Christopher Columbus is said to have sighted Saba on November 13, 1493, but did not land, as the island’s perilously rocky shores were a major deterrent to Columbus and his crew. In 1632 a group of shipwrecked Englishmen landed upon Saba; they stated they found the island uninhabited when they were retrieved by others. But there has been some evidence found indicating that Carib or Arawak Indians may have been on the island. In 1635 a stray Frenchman claimed Saba for Louis XIII of France and around the year 1640, the Dutch West India Company sent people from the neighboring island of St. Eustatius to colonize the island. These settlers were then in 1664 evicted to St. Maarten by Sir Henry Morgan, the notorious English buccaneer, on one of the very few occasions that the nearly vertical rocky island was successfully invaded. The Netherlands finally took possession of Saba in 1816 after a spell of British occupation during the Napoleonic era.

Through the 17th and 18th centuries its major industries were sugar and rum, and, later, fishing, particularly lobster fishing. In the 1600s Saba was believed to be a favorable hideout for Jamaican pirates. England also deported its “undesirable” people to live in the Caribbean colonies. They too became pirates, taking haven on Saba. The most notable native Saban pirate was Hiriam Breakes, who famously quipped “Dead Men Tell No Tales.” Legitimate sailing and trade later became important and many of the island’s men took to the seas, during which time Saba lace became an important product made by the island’s women.

The remains of the 1640 settlements can be found on the west side at Tent Bay.

When to Go

Saba is the rare island in this region where a visit during July to September is actually pleasant (if there’s not a hurricane) but a comfortably warm year-round temperature really makes Saba a good stop at any time. Prices are lower during the depths of their sunny winter (December to February), when most potential visitors (North Americans) tend to stay away from the tropics.

The Bottom

The Bottom is the largest settlement on Saba, Netherlands Antilles, and would be first stop on the way up the road from Saba Port in Fort Bay. It has 495 inhabitants(of total 1424 islanders).

The Bottom is home to among other things, government offices, a hospital, a nursing home and Saba University School of Medicine.

The original name of the town was De Botte, old Dutch for “The Bowl”, referring to its geographical position in a valley surrounded by hills. The Bottom is an English corruption of this name.

Saba

Saba (pronounced “Say-ba” in English) is the smallest island of the Netherlands Antilles, located at 17°38′N, 63°14′W. It consists largely of the dormant volcano, Mount Scenery (877 m), the highest point of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Saba has a land area of 13 km² (5 sq. miles). At the 2001 Netherlands Antilles census, the population was 1,349 inhabitants, which means a population density of 104 inhabitants per km². In 2004 the population was estimated at 1,424 inhabitants.

Its current major settlements include The Bottom, Windwardside, Hell’s Gate and St. Johns. Despite the island’s Dutch affiliation, English is the principal language spoken on the island and has been used in its school system since 1986. The Netherlands Antillean guilder is the official currency, but the U.S. dollar is accepted everywhere on the island.

Saba is home to the Saba University School of Medicine, which was established by American expatriates in coordination with the Netherlands government. The school adds over 300 residents when classes are in session, and it is the prime educational attraction. A.M. Edwards Medical Center is the major provider of healthcare for local residents.