Saba island honeymoon

What’s a Caribbean island without beaches? If you’re in Saba, it’s a quiet but breathtakingly scenic tropical retreat relatively untrammeled by hordes of tourists.

Just minutes by air from St. Maarten, Saba (Say-bah) is a dormant volcano ringed by sheer cliffs, which probably explains why fewer than 25,000 tourists visit every year. The island was settled in the early 17th century by the Dutch, and although many of the European colonial powers contended over it, today it remains part of the Netherlands Antilles.

The small population of fewer than 1500 permanent residents lives in three main villages: the Bottom, the island’s capital; Windwardside, home to most of the shops; and Hell’s Gate, perched on the edge of a mountain. The villages are populated by charming white cottages with red roofs and little gardens that also double as gravesites (there’s no land for a cemetery here).

According to people who have been there, Saba’s warm hospitality and natural environment make it well worth the trip, as long as you’re not looking for urban adventures or long walks on the beach.

So, without a beach, what will you do on your Saba island honeymoon? Here are a few possibilities:

• Saba is something of a paradise for divers, who relish the depths of the Sabo Marine Park with its underwater pinnacles and boulder gardens.
• Explore Saba’s rugged terrain on any number of trails featuring rare birds, wild orchids, cloud-swept mountaintops, and expansive vistas. Ecotourism is big here; you can book a tour through the tourism bureau.
• If you plan your visit for the last week in July, catch the summer Carnival, which the Saba Tourism Bureau web site describes as “a week-long celebration of parades, steel bands, competitions and pure merriment throughout the island, featuring Carnival village with local food booths.”
• One possibility for relatively inexpensive accommodations are the Ecolodge cottages, which (at the time of this writing) run $85 – $105 per night; some cottages include a kitchenette or hot tub. As the name suggests, these are environmentally friendly accommodations where the main attraction is the island’s natural beauty. If the photos on the web site are accurate, these aren’t rough-hewn shacks in the woods—they actually look very inviting, painted in bright colors. Says the web site: “Imagine for a moment that you are hidden away in the rainforest. No distractions. Only you, enjoying your private cottage, soaking in your hot tub, watching the cloud mist roll through the mountainside. As the sun sets you become hypnotized by the sounds of tiny tree frogs and singing birds.” Okay, sign us up!
• At the other end of the price spectrum, check out the Queen’s Gardens resort, which offers all-inclusive honeymoon packages—and stunning views of the Caribbean from an elevation of 1,200 feet.

Sounding good? Then check out the following video and links for more information on your Saba island honeymoon:

Saba Island Links

Saba Tourism Bureau
A comprehensive site listing all the island’s restaurants, attractions, and accommodations. Click on the “General Information” link for demographic and tourism details about Saba.

Saba Overview at TripAdvisor
Reviews from travel professionals and visitors; when we visited, most tourist reviews gave it five stars while cautioning that the trip “isn’t for everyone,” especially those seeking beaches or vibrant nightlife.

Ecolodge Rendez-vous Saba
“Twelve friendly but simple cottages” about 15 minutes by foot from Windwardside.

Saba on Wikitravel
A Saba island travel guide.

Photo used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 license.