Saba, The Unspoiled Queen
Saba
is a 5 square mile volcanic island located 35 miles south-southwest
of St. Martin in the Caribbean Sea. Sighted by Christopher Columbus
on his second voyage to the new world, Saba was ultimately claimed
by the Dutch in 1816. During the 1800's most of the male population
went to sea and became highly skilled fishermen and seamen.
Seafaring continued to be an important part of Saban life well into
the 1900s, with Saban captains sailing throughout the Caribbean and
world.
Due
to Saba's steep topography, travel on the island was via footpath
and goods were carted on donkeys until 1943 when the first concrete
road was built from Fort Bay to The Bottom. The first motor vehicle
arrived in 1947, and by 1958 "The Road" was completed linking all
the villages and the harbor. The airport was completed in 1963.
Electricity finally became regularly available throughout the day in
1970. In 1972 the Leo Chance Pier in Fort Bay was opened,
accommodating fishing boats, work boats and small cruise ships.
In 1992 the Saba University School of Medicine was established as a joint project between the island government and a group of medical educators from the United States. The Saba University of Medicine continues to have a large presence on Saba to this day.
Today
Saba is known as an ecotourism site with stunning hiking, diving and
bird watching, and for the not-so-physically-inclined, wonderful
hammock-lounging. Several island-based dive operations take
advantage of the
Saba National Marine Park. The Marine Park surrounds the entire
island and extends down to 60 meters in depth. It contains lava
tunnels, hot springs, spur and groove formations and sheer wall
dives as well as an abundance of marine life. Check out the reef
picture, above, taken by past Saba residents Tom and Lynn Franzson.
To learn more about Saba, check out the Saba Tourist Bureau and the Saba Conservation Foundation (home of the Saba National Marine Park and the Saba National Park). If on Saba, be sure to pick up a copy of Saba Lore, Tales from my Grandmother's Pipe by Will Johnson (1989) and Saban Trails...a Walking and Hiking Guide, by the Saba Conservation Foundation (1998). Both provide fascinating glimpses back into Saba's history.
