If your Love Island binge session has left you craving a steamy tropical vacay, we’ve got just the destination for you. Saba Island is practically begging to be made the setting of a romantic reality TV show, with a lot less drama and a lot more views. And it just so happens to be, in our opinion, the Caribbean’s most underrated destination.
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting the Caribbean’s best-kept secret.
What Is Saba Island?
Saba is a tiny volcanic island near Saint Kitts and is officially a territory of the Netherlands. At only 5 square miles (8 km) in area, it’s also the smallest inhabited island in the Caribbean. But don’t let the small size fool you. This island is packed with five separate ecosystems and tons of natural beauty, including rainforests, cloud forests, coral reefs, tide pools, and hot springs.
How Do You Get to Saba?
Getting to Saba is part of the adventure. There are two options for traveling to the island.
AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_4gsadkalhb5fiv5vddbH1_ iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_8gsadkalhb5fiv5vddbH1_ iframeThe first is a 90-minute ferry from nearby Saint Martin. It departs two times a week, on Tuesday and Friday.
The second option is a 15-minute flight from Saint Martin, but this isn’t just any flight. Saba Airport is home to the shortest commercial runway in the entire world. At only 400 meters long, it is only slightly longer than an aircraft carrier. The runway itself is freaky to look at — it literally starts and ends with drops straight into the ocean.
Saba Airport is technically one of the world’s most dangerous airports, but trust us, its safety record is perfect. The pilots are specially trained, and there has never been an accident here. Once you land, you can grab an “I survived the Saba landing” t-shirt at the airport gift shop and head off for your vacation.
What Is There to Do on Saba?
There are only a dozen restaurants, no cruise ship ports, and no hotel chains on the entire island, and that’s kind of the whole point. At any given point, there are only 50 visitors on the island. What Saba does have is untouched nature, adventure, and complete peace and quiet. Here are some of the coolest things to do in Saba.
1. Hike to the Netherlands’ Highest Point
The Caribbean is probably the last place in the world you’d expect to be climbing the Netherlands’ highest mountain, but that’s exactly what you can do in Saba. A hike to the top of Mount Scenery will take you through super dense jungle, past cocoa plants, big scaly lizards, and leaves that are half the size of your body. At the top, you’ll be rewarded with a view over the entire island and the surrounding ocean.
2. Snorkel at Saba National Marine Park
Saba National Marine Park, which covers all the water surrounding the island, is home to over 100 species of fish and hundreds of types of coral. You can easily bring a snorkel to the water and take a swim around.
3. Chill at Cove Bay
AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_5esadkalhb5fiv5vddbH1_ iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_9esadkalhb5fiv5vddbH1_ iframe Saba Island has no real beaches, so Cove Bay is the closest you’ll find. This tiny bay is shielded from waves, making it a calm place to swim and snorkel. The scenery is incredible, overlooking perfectly clear waters, rocky outcrops, and volcanic mountains covered in greenery. There’s even a playground for children.
4. Dive Through the Eye of the Needle
Those looking for something a bit more exciting than snorkeling will be excited to learn about Saba’s many diving spots. One of the most iconic spots is called the Eye of the Needle, a towering pinnacle of rock that emerges from the deep blue water. The rock is covered with flourishing coral reefs that attract fish, turtles, and even sharks.
5. Try Your Hand at Glassmaking
There are only a handful of shops in Saba, the most colorful being Jobean Glass Art Studio. Local artist Jobean has lived on Saba for over 30 years and blows tiny glass figurines of mermaids, pirates, and more. She offers glass workshops that’ll teach you to melt down glass and shape it into your own creations.
If you’re looking for all-inclusive resorts and wild nightlife, Saba may not be for you. But if you’re looking to explore an authentic part of the Caribbean that few people ever see, we’d definitely recommend a visit. To get a peek into our trip to Saba, check out the video below.
Yahoo CreatorKara and NateHi! We're Kara and Nate. High school sweethearts from Nashville, TN whose shared love of travel has led us on the adventure of a lifetime. In 2016 we quit our jobs to spend one year traveling around the world. Seven years later, we still haven't stopped! We quickly fell in love with life on the road and capturing our travels on video. We've visited over 100 countries, and have been fortunate enough to build an awesome community of subscribers on our YouTube channel and newsletter Daily Drop.We're so grateful to do what we love everyday and we hope our story and our content might inspire you to travel somewhere new!FollowFollow
