The Bottom

Introduction

View of "The Bottom" from the mountain

© rendyng

The Bottom is the capital of Saba, one of the Netherlands Antilles.

Events and Festivals

King's Day

King's Day on the 27th of April means cultural events, sports activities, picnics and music. Don't forget to wear something Orange to blend in.

Easter

Easter is celebrated in March, and due to the high number of people that flock here during this time, reservations are recommended. Tourists should head to the local church on Saba, where celebrations are held for several days.

Carnival

The most visited and liveliest festival on the island is Carnival. This event is also referred to as the Summer Festival and lures the largest crowds of any event every year. Book hotels in advance as accommodations tend to be overflowing when Carnival comes to the island. Parades, costumes, music, and the rhythms of steel drums dominate the processions through the streets of Saba. The event is held across the last week in July.

Sea and Learn Festival

The ocean and its marine environment are important for the local Saban community. To help teach visitors and locals alike about the significance of ocean conservation, the Sea and Learn Festival is held in October. Every year, scientists, naturalists, and professors from around the world flock to Saba to make presentations, hold exhibitions, and host shows about life in the surrounding waters. It is a great time for any tourists to visit Saba.

Saba Days

In December, Saba Days is held to showcase the beauty of this fantastic island. The festival is held in honor of the island and incorporates interesting cultural activities, including dancing, sports, and weekend-long barbecues. The fun and games are held across the island, in all of the villages. Nevertheless, The Bottom and Windwardside are usually the busiest spots on Saba during this event.

Christmas

Saba is a predominantly Roman Catholic island, so it is only natural that Christmas is celebrated here each year. The Sabans believe Christmas to be a big deal and performances are regularly held on the island leading up to the big day (December 25).

New Year’s Eve

Tourists will be surprised by the beauty of Saba on New Year’s Eve. There are plenty of spots for the crowds, so tourists have a lot of options for a New Year’s Eve party on Saba. Of course, due to the many tourists who visit at this time, it is important to book hotels well in advance.

Weather

The Bottom has a hot and humid tropical climate with average daytime temperatures between 28 °C and 30 °C and average nights around 23 °C. Most rain falls between June and October with a chance of hurricanes from August onwards. Therefore, the drier (and slightly cooler) December to April period is the best time to visit weatherwise. Unfortunately prices rise sharply during this period and the months of November and May still have good weather. So budgetwise these latter months may be a good option as well.

Getting There

By Car

Josephus Lambert Hassell was the engineer who, in 1938, designed and supervised the building of the road from Fort Bay to The Bottom.
There is a car rental place in The Bottom called Caja's Car Rental; however, you might want to pay attention to how the locals drive on the road before you decide you want to rent a car. Depending on the car, rental rates are $40-50 per day or $220-288 per week. There's just one gas station on Saba, located in Fort Bay and open 9:00am-2:00pm on weekdays and 9:00am-12:00pm on Saturday. The traffic is on the right and speed limits are 20 km/h in the villages and 40 km/h outside them.

Keep Connected

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

External Links