St. Eustatius and Saba Things To Do

St. Eustatius and Saba, both are ideal destinations if looking for a secluded haven in friendly surroundings with rare fauna and flora and wonderful marine life. Rising steeply from the azure sea these tiny islands in the Caribbean offer a magical experience. Pristine coral reefs and historic shipwrecks are perfect for scuba diving and the national parks are great for hiking.

Great for: diving and hiking
Location: Leeward Islands, part of the Netherlands Antilles
Population: 3,100 St. Eustatius / 1,500 - Saba
Size: St. Eustatius - 8 sq miles / Saba - 5 sq miles
Capital city: Oranjestad, St. Eustatius / The Bottom, Saba
Airports: Franklin Delano Roosvelt Airport, St. Eustatius, EUX
Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport, Saba, SAB
Language: Dutch, English and Papamientu
Currency: NL Antillean guilder (Naf or ANG) - check exchange rate
Time zone: UTC -4
Area code: 599 for both

Did you know?
The five islands of Bonaire, Curaçao, St. Eustatius, Saba and St. Maarten (Dutch side) make up the Netherlands Antilles, an autonomous part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

St. Eustatius

After Columbus came across the island in 1493 the French arrived next, followed by the Dutch, who established the first permanent settlement in the mid 1600s. In 1776 St. Eustatius was the first foreign nation to recognize the new and independent United States of America.

St. Eustatius (also known as Statia) offers perfect conditions for scuba diving. Dive sites range from reefs with tiny seahorses to centuries-old shipwrecks on the sea floor. The sea around Statia has a variety of sponges, giant octopuses, tropical fish, stingrays, barracudas and black-tip sharks.

Saba

Christopher Columbus first sighted Saba during his second voyage to the Caribbean. The island was not colonized until 1640, when the Dutch set up a permanent settlement. The British briefly occupied the island too. Today, Saba is administered directly by the Netherlands.

Saba is like a mountain overlooking the ocean. Every step you will take will either be up or down a hill. Most people come to Saba for two things; one is to dive, since Saba is one of the top 10 diving places in the world, the second is to hike, as there are enough trails to keep you busy for several weeks.

Hiking

Diving & Snorkeling

Landmarks

Saba is a hiker's paradise. There are 12 well-marked trails on this teeny-tiny island and you can do most of the hikes on your own. Statia offers good conditions for diving.

Hiking on St. Eustatius & Saba:

The Quill, St. Eustatius - An extinct volcano, popular for hiking.

Mt. Scenery, Saba - The highest point of Saba is a popular climb. It takes about 3 to 4 hours (1 hour and 30 minutes one way) for the average hiker. The scenery and the view are beautiful.

Sulphur Mine Trail, Saba - Another popular hiking trail with beautiful views overlooking the ocean.

Maskehorn Hill, Saba - This hike is pretty easy. The view of the Windward side of the island, the ocean and surrounding islands is beautiful.

Diving and Snorkeling:

Hangover Reef, St. Eustatius - A popular dive site.

Torrens Point, Saba - A popular, shallow dive site.

Third Encounter, Saba - A popular location for scuba diving. 

Well's Bay, Saba - A protected snorkeling park.

Diamond Rock, Saba - An 80-foot-deep dive site, rich in marine life.

Tent Reef Wall, Saba - A popular dive site, home to sea turtles.

Landmarks:

Fort Oranje, St. Eustatius - An intact fortress, complete with cannons and cobblestone courtyard. Building started by the French and it was later completed by the Dutch.

Fort de Windt, St. Eustatius - An 18th century fortress with rusty cannons and beautiful views.

• All Americans are required to present a passport to enter and re-enter the United States.
• Non-U.S. citizens, please contact the nearest consulate or embassy of the country to which you are traveling to determine your entry/visa requirements.
• Passport, visa and travel advisory information may be found at the U.S. Department of State's Netherlands Antilles pages. Although most travel to international destinations is completed without incident, Caribbean-TravelDeals.com urges passengers to review travel prohibitions, warnings, announcements and advisories prior to booking.