Saba Airport

Saba Airport
Getting to Nature's Paradise

Saba. The epitome of wild romantic escape, its dormant volcano aptly named Mount Scenery, shrouded in mists and vertical jungle cliffs, tiny Saba attracts nature lovers--hikers, divers and ecotourists in general.

Airport

With the world's shortest commercial runway approved for only three models of planes, Saba's airport (SAB) has been compared to an aircraft carrier. A window seat on the right behind the pilot gives the best views of Saba's magnificent volcano (see Travel Tips). Saba's airport connects St. Maarten/St. Martin as well as St. Eustatias.

Local Carrier. Winair, Saba's only carrier, has five or more flights a day to St. Maarten's Queen Juliana International Airport. The 12 minute flight reaches an altitude of 2500 feet at most, lower than Mt. Scenery.

The Road. Saba's lone 10-mile main road, called "The Road," begins at Ft. Bay's ferry dock, a tiny cove amid the sheer rock walls that surround Saba (there are no beaches). Through a grand crevice, The Road was literally carved out of the volcano to reach the main village, called "The Bottom," which, even though at 830 feet, sits in the bowl of an extinct volcano.

Windwardside. A daunting drive, The Road curves challengingly up to Windwardside, a picturesque village at 2000 feet, with clusters of tiny white houses trimmed in green and gingerbread, narrow alleys and the pretty stone-walled lane to the Saba Museum. Pick up a field guide at the Trail Shop for the three hour round trip up Mt. Scenery from a nearby trailhead.

Mt. Scenery

Climbing from the rainforest below, up 1064 steps through eco-zones of tree ferns and palms, the cloud forest is reached, the high altitude mist where the spectacular, mossy green "Elfin Forest" crowns 2855 foot Mt. Scenery (photo: Old English Sheepdogs).

Hell's Gate. From Windwardside, The Road leads on to Hell's Gate where the community center offers the famous, intricate Saba Lace, before twisting precipitously down 14 hairpin turns to reach Flat Point and the airport, pictured above.

Ferry Service

Ferry service connects Saba's only port at Ft. Bay with St. Maarten (Pelican Marina near the airport) and St. Barths via ferry companies The Edge and Dawn II (photo: 'Saba Bound' Dawn II). Carrying the island's cargo as well, Dawn II has a built-in freezer to get that ice cream there frozen in a tropical clime. The ferry voyage can be rough on windy days.

Diving. Rated in the top ten of world dive sites, Saba is a fantastic, but demanding dive destination. Saba's volcano extends underwater where cliffs, pinnacles, overhangs and lava flows are colonized by elkhorn coral forests and giant purple tube sponges. Divers are cautioned to treat activities aloft ashore, such as hiking Mt. Scenery, as being equivalent to a flight at that altitude.

Saba Bank. The Saba Bank is an underwater mountain (large atoll) with some of the Caribbean's richest marine diversity.

Accommodations. Saba has only limited accommodations, with only about 100 rooms in intimate inns and charming guesthouses in addition to rental cottages. Most have cable TV, but lack air conditioning.

World's Best Daytrip. Most of the 24,000 annual visitors are day trippers, so many of Saba's restaurants close by 9:30 PM (and double as the limited nightlife). Windwardside has a few art galleries. The local flavored rum is called Saba Spice.

Multi-National Archipelago. The nearby islands of St. Maarten/St. Martin, Anguilla, St. Eustatius (Statia) and St. Barths are well worth a day trip or side excursion. Sharing St. Maarten/St. Martin's dual Dutch/French, multi-national personality, St. Barths is French, Anguilla is British and Statia is Dutch, while Saba is also Dutch.

Overnight Bag. In case of delays or lost luggage, carry on an overnight bag with medicines, clothing and a bathing suit as well as reading material and snacks if desired.

Back to Tortola's Beef Island Airport
Serving the British Virgin Islands