Travel in Saba – Hotels, Saba Vacations, Lodging, Trips, Attractions and Travel Guide

Scintillating Saba Island: A Lively Vacation

A wounderful bay at the island of Saba, Caribbean Sea.

Saba consists of a dormant volcano and is the smallest island in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The island is mostly composed of woodland forests, ferns, damp soil and mangrove forests. There were areas covered in Mahogany trees, but after a hurricane in the 1960's destroyed many of the trees and now they are in danger of going extinct on the island.

Saba Bank is a submerged atoll (a coral island surrounded by a lagoon), and contains some of the most diverse marine life in the Caribbean. The east side of the island is fringed with a ridge of living coral reef, white sand and rocks. There are also coral reefs on the west side of the island and the bottom consists of translucent white coral sand. This location is famous the world over for its amazing diving conditions and is popular among the locals and tourists.

Held on the island during the week of July 3rd, is the annual Carnival and Saba Summer Festival. The seven churches located on the island banned together and hold the celebration every year. The festival is held to honor the customs and traditions of the island and is the main event of the summertime. There is a parade, music, entertainment provided by the parish school children, food and craft wares done by local artisans that are for sale in the various booths along the street.

A very popular item to purchase while is Saba is the laces, which are created by hand by the women who live on the island. Saba lace has a place in history and is considered to be some of the finest, most delicately detailed lace in the Caribbean. History tells the story of Mary Gertrude Hassell Johnson, who was sent by her parents to study at a Catholic convent in Venezuela. While at the convent, the nuns taught Mary how to create the intricate designs of lacework. Mary then brought the craft back to Saba and taught other ladies how to do it. By 1884, the regular mail service had connected with the island and provided the women with the ability to send their laces to the United States. By the 1920's, the island was exporting an average of $15,000 in needlework every year. Now many years later, the lacework is still being taught to girls on the island and there are four shops on the island that sell the lacework produced and it still brings in quite a bit of income to the island.

The Saba Conservation Foundation was established in 1987, to preserve and protect the environment of the island. In 1988, the foundation established the Saba National Marine Park, to preserve and protect the coral reefs and diverse marine life that calls the island home. The park circles the entire island and includes the sea bed and underlying waters. Visitors are welcome to make a small donation and enjoy the many sites to see in the park such as; an abandoned sulfur mine, hot springs and the nesting area for the Red-billed sea birds and many other sea bird species.

Every year less than 25,000 tourists visit the island of Saba, those who do venture to this location are treated with warmth and respect as is common with the Caribbean islands. The temperature on the island rarely falls below 80( F and the winters are so mild that barely more than a light sweater is required.

Saba is an island that has cozy cottages, seaside resorts and quaint inns, something designed to fit every budget and style. Althea Cottage is located in Windwardside and is a 150 year-old traditional Saban cottage that has been complete renovated and restored to bring it up to date and equipped with modern amenities. The Pilot House has some of the best views in the Caribbean and is the newest of all the resort cottages on the island. The grounds are set among lush gardens and is a short walk to the nightlife locations. A vacation on the island of Saba is guaranteed to be unique and an experience that visitors will always remember.