Windwardside

Photo © Utrecht

Travel Guide Caribbean Saba Windwardside

Introduction

Windwardside is the second largest town on the island of Saba, aptly named for being on the windward side of the island.

edit

Sights and Activities

One of the best hikes is the one up Mount Scenery. You can do this hike all the way from Windwardside or even The Bottom, but the shortest one is to start at the end of the mountain road going up from Windwardside and ending near the Ecolodge Rendez Vous (see accommodation below). From here it is a steep 75 minutes up, though most people start in Windwardside, which just adds about 15 minutes. It is very steep, going from about 400 metres up until the top at 877 metres above sea level, the highest point in the Netherlands since the 10th of October 2010, when the island became a special municipality of the Netherlands. The views towards other islands are fantastic.

There is also a maritime museum full of Saban history

edit

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.

edit

Getting There

Josephus Lambert Hassell was the engineer who, in 1938, designed and supervised the building of the road from Fort Bay to The Bottom. Over the next 23 years, 14 km of road was painstakingly laid by hand and wheelbarrow by locals. It is said the men of Hell's Gate put in the most effort on the project because their village was the farthest away from Fort Bay. However, the creation of the airport later on Flat Point meant that the main point of arrival on Saba was now diametrically opposite: in the northeastern tip, rather than in the southwest.

The people on Saba are very friendly, so hitchhiking from town to town isn't rare. Taxi drivers have even been known to pick up hitchers, not charging them for the ride if that's the direction they're going anyway.

edit

Getting Around

The town is small and everything can easily be reached on foot.

edit

Eat

There is a supermarket if you want to buy your own groceries.

Good restaurants include:

Brigadoon - Located in Saba's main village (Windwardside), this place is one of the best (if not the best) on the island. The owner is the chef and does everything by himself. The menu is a generous mix of all sorts of meat, fish and/or chicken and there are mostly around 5 daily specials to choose from as well. There is also a wide choice of appetizers (including falafel and hummus!) and some caleroy-rich desserts. Reservations are recommended; closed on Tuesday. Saturdaynight is sushi night.
Rainforest Restaurant (at Ecolodge Saba), ☎ +599 416-3888. The Rainforest Restaurant offers unique atmosphere and some of the best food on the island. Its theme is to be one with nature, and you certainly feel that way while dining in candle light surrounded by the sounds and smells of the rain forest brought in by the fresh breeze. The taxi will drop you off about 200 yards from the restaurant itself where you will have to walk the remaining distance on a path (bring a flashlight for the return trip!). The menu changes nightly because the restaurant only serves what it can get fresh that day

edit