Getting there & Getting around

Getting there

One of the most exciting things about a trip to Saba is the hold-your-breath landing and take off at Juancho E Yrausquin Airport, where the tiny runway ends in sheer cliff. The only scheduled flight service to Saba is with Winair, which has several flights a day from Sint Maarten, a 15-minute hop. Winair also has a daily flight from Sint Eustatius and weekly flights from St Barthelemy.

Saba does not have a deep-water port capable of handling large cruise ships. However, Windjammer Barefoot Cruises and a few other small ships stop over at Saba by anchoring in Fort Bay and bringing passengers ashore by dinghy. Two motorized catamarans run between Sint Maarten and Saba's Fort Bay.

The island has two designated anchorages for yachties: the harbour at Fort Bay and the area from Well's Bay to Ladder Bay. To help support the Saba Marine Park, there is a small yacht visitor fee per person. People arriving by boat should first clear immigration at the harbour office at Fort Bay.

Getting around

There are no public buses and no scooters or bicycles for rent on Saba, which makes taxis (or your feet) the best way to go. Taxis usually meet flights; fares are fixed by the government.

Saba's very narrow and steep roads may intimidate some drivers. Even Sabans are challenged by tight corners in Windwardside - you'd be hard pressed to find a car that doesn't bear scrape marks from kissing at least one stone wall! If you must have your own wheels, remember that there aren't many rental cars on the island so try to book in advance. The main rental outlets are in Windwardside. Your home driver's license is valid on Saba. The island's sole gas station is in Fort Bay. Drive on the right side of the road.

Hitchhiking is a common means of transportation. In Windwardside, the main hitching spot is near the wall by the Big Rock Market; in The Bottom it's by the Department of Public Works.

Visa information

US and Canadian citizens don't need visas or passports, only proof of citizenship. Others need a valid passport, birth certificate or voter's registration. This will change as of December 31 2006, however, when the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative mandates that all travellers reentering the US will be required to carry a passport. A round-trip or onward ticket is officially required.