SCUBA diving in Saba

Top Things to Do in Saba

About Saba

Saba is a Dutch island in the Caribbean Sea.  Only five square miles with a population of 2,000, this small island is known as the Unspoiled Queen. With little commercialization and no cruise ships, Saba is a tropical paradise!

Saba was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493 but he did not consider the mountainous landscape important enough to colonize.  From its discovery until 1816, Saba changed hands many times…from the Spanish, to the French, and to the Dutch who took final possession.

The island includes four small settlements, the world’s shortest commercial runway (1,200 feet), the tallest mountain in the Netherlands which is the potentially active volcano Mt. Scenery, and world class SCUBA diving.

EXPLORE!
runway at the bottom of the rocks

Hiking in Saba

Hiking in Saba on Our Dive Trip

A few years ago, I heard about an island called Saba in the Caribbean that had good SCUBA diving. I mentioned it to my dive buddies Rootie and Julie, and soon we ended up on a girls’ trip diving in Saba.  I didn’t know, however, that there are a lot of opportunities for hiking in Saba.  How perfect, we turned our dive vacation into a hiking trip too!

While we spent the mornings diving, we spent many of our afternoons as well as our last day on the island exploring.  As such we got to hike many trails in Saba.

GO HIKING!
filefish in Saba

SCUBA Diving in Saba

About Saba

Saba is a Dutch island in the Caribbean Sea.  Only five square miles with a population of 2,000, this small island is known as the Unspoiled Queen. I’d have to agree with that…with little commercialization and no cruise ships…this island is a tropical paradise!

Saba was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493 but did not consider the mountainous landscape important enough to colonize.  From its discovery until 1816, Saba changed hands many times…from the Spanish, to the French, and to the Dutch who took final possession.

The island includes four small settlements, the world’s shortest commercial runway (1,200 feet), the tallest mountain in the Netherlands which is the potentially active volcano Mt. Scenery, and world class SCUBA diving.

Continue reading “SCUBA Diving in Saba” →
Little Bay, Anguilla

Three Days in Anguilla

It has been a few years since I’ve been to the Caribbean, and I always like visiting a tropical destination during Colorado’s snowy months.  This year I selected a combination of three nearby islands; Anguilla, Saba, and St. Maarten.

Getting to Anguilla

My first stop was Anguilla via St. Maarten.  There is not a direct flight from Denver to St. Maarten, so I had to go through Charlotte.  Short layover times for winter delays encouraged me to fly to Charlotte the previous night.  Good choice!  The Denver airport shut down due to the bomb cyclone winter storm the day after I left.

GO TO THE BEACH!
Tips for traveling to Anguilla: Shoal Bay Beach

Tips for Traveling to Anguilla

While I’ve been to many Caribbean Islands, either things have changed, or Anguilla is a little different from some of the others I’ve visited. For starters, I don’t ever remember needing so much cash! Below are some tips for traveling to Anguilla.

TIPS!
Ferry from St. Maarten to Anguilla

From St. Maarten to Anguilla

While I read the general information about a ferry transfer from St. Maarten to Anguilla at Stmartinbookings.com, few small details still alluded me. As such, I have written a post for the first timers who are flying into the airport at Simpson Bay on the dutch side of St. Maarten, and need to get to Anguilla.

TIPS!

Top Dive Sites in San Andres, Colombia

Top Dive Sites in San Andrés

I wasn’t sure what to expect for diving in Colombia.  After reviewing Trip Advisor, the location of dive shops, and their websites, I contacted Banda Dive Shop in San Andrés.  They confirmed that they offered two-tank morning dives with a surface interval on the boat which included water in a bag and a small snack.  In addition, all equipment was provided.  The boat included a small canopy, captain, and 1-2 bi-lingual divemasters for 8-12 people. The price, at around $65 per day, was far less than most diving locations around the world.

I arrived at the dive shop at 8 to fill out the paper work before the scheduled 8:15 departure time which morphed into 8:45.  The paperwork was the most informal I had ever seen which basically included a waiver and a blank for my certification number.  Illnesses and the number of dives were of no importance in Colombia. Continue reading “Top Dive Sites in San Andres, Colombia” →

Top 11 Tips for Traveling to San Andres, Colombia

San Andrés

San Andrés is the largest of three islands in the Colombian archipelago located in the Caribbean Sea.  The islands first appeared on the Spanish map in 1527.  Over the next 350-400 years, the islands were inhabited by the English, Dutch and Spanish and changed hands many times.  In 1900, the islands were declared Colombia’s.  The USA requested that the archipelago be given to Panama by which it is closely located, but the request was rejected proving the local’s loyalty to Colombia.  In 2000, the islands became a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. Continue reading “Top 11 Tips for Traveling to San Andres, Colombia” →