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Saba Day Trip from St Maarten: An Eco Paradise for Divers, Hikers and Nature Enthusiasts
4.1
59 Ratings
Simpson Bay
Discover the unspoiled beauty of Saba, an eco paradise known as the ‘Unspoiled Queen’. Dive into crystal-clear waters, hike through breathtaking landscapes, and immerse yourself in nature’s wonders.
Discover the unspoiled beauty of Saba, an eco paradise known as the ‘Unspoiled Queen’. Dive into crystal-clear waters, hike through breathtaking landscapes, and immerse yourself in nature’s wonders.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Mount Scenery - The hiking in Saba’s rainforest is not to be missed with the main trail, Mt. Scenery, being the most popular. It is possible to stop at any point and return to Windwardside, or challenge the climb for the views from the top. The Saba Trail Shop asks a US$3 donation for the trail upkeep, and guests receive a trail badge. The hike is…
- Mount Scenery - The hiking in Saba’s rainforest is not to be missed with the main trail, Mt. Scenery, being the most popular. It is possible to stop at any point and return to Windwardside, or challenge the climb for the views from the top. The Saba Trail Shop asks a US$3 donation for the trail upkeep, and guests receive a trail badge. The hike is an option part of the lunch and tour package.
- Fort Bay - Optional taxis meet the passengers at the boat, this area is called Fort Bay
- The Bottom - First stop is a village called the Bottom, on up to Windwardside, where the trails start for hiking and tours continue over through Hells Gate with a look down to the airport, precariously balanced out on a lava overflow. Taxi tours are the only way to get up and into the island as the walk up from Fort Bay to The Bottom is vertical and strenuous. The views are spectacular. Drivers will stop at places of interest to take photos, and will let hikers out at the trail with arrangements to meet them for the return journey to Fort Bay.
- Windwardside - . It is possible to stop at any point and return to Windwardside, or challenge the climb for the views from the top. The Saba Trail Shop asks a US$3 donation for the trail upkeep, and guests receive a trail badge. Windwardside boasts great little restaurants for lunch. There are a few shops selling local crafts such as hand blown glass, jewelry and artwork. The villages are quaint with low built cottages all whitewashed with red and green roofs, tiny narrow roads and very friendly locals.
- Aqua Mania Adventures - The meeting point
What's Included
- Round Trip Ferry Transfers
- Lunch
- Beers, soda and water included on board
- Port fee
- Island Taxi Tour
- Hiking - optional
- Round Trip Ferry Transfers
- Lunch
- Beers, soda and water included on board
- Port fee
- Island Taxi Tour
- Hiking - optional
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop off (Saturday through Monday)
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop off (Saturday through Monday)
Additional Information
Often referred to as the ‘Pristine Monarch’, Saba is a haven for environment lovers and a favoured destination for diving, hiking, and nature aficionados. Her beauty extends from her peak to her depths. It takes a journey of 75-90 minutes to reach there, docking at Fort Bay, the singular direct sea connection on Saba. Saba is circled by sharp cliffs,…
Often referred to as the ‘Pristine Monarch’, Saba is a haven for environment lovers and a favoured destination for diving, hiking, and nature aficionados. Her beauty extends from her peak to her depths. It takes a journey of 75-90 minutes to reach there, docking at Fort Bay, the singular direct sea connection on Saba. Saba is circled by sharp cliffs, and the ancient slave path, where cargo was disembarked for transport to the hamlets via donkey, is still preserved.
- CHECK IN 1 HOUR BEFORE DEPARTURE TIME. Check in starts at 8:00am - closes at 8:30am
- You MUST have a valid passport is required on the day of travel. Please note: Passport CARD are NOT acceptable.
- Taxi rides are available to the start of the hiking trail
- NB: the hike during this tour is strenuous
- Due to St Maarten immigration procedures, on return to St Maarten all passengers will be required to hand their passports to the crew. Passports will be taken to clear immigration ahead of the group before the boat can dock and passengers disembark.
Location
Simpson Bay Police Station
Airport Road
Check in 8am at the Simpson Bay Police Station with passports. Check in closes at 8:35am in order to clear Immigration.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.1
(59 Ratings)
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Anonymous
Aug 9, 2024
Beautiful View - A different kind of experience. Small island with beautiful views of mountains and towns.
The boat ride was rough with the water. You can barely stand. The staff was very nice they try to get everything you need so you don’t need to stand up.
The food was excellent, they give you choices. We had fish. It was delicious. We order ( not included in the free meal ) rum and raisin ice cream. The best we ever had. Unique flavor.
Review provided by Viator
Johannes_m
May 8, 2024
Saba - a great excursion and adventure from Saint Maarten - Excellent trip. Beautiful island, great tour, nice guide, excellent lunch and nice passport stamp for a souvenir.
Review provided by Viator
Mherkins
Mar 20, 2024
Great experience! - Saba is a beautiful place to visit, nice restaurants happy people. It was a fun day trip on the ferry over. We booked a cab to show us around it was well worth it. Rodney was our driver extremely pleasant and full of knowledge. The view were spectacular .
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tedd_p
Dec 17, 2023
Highly recommend this tour of unique Saba! - Trip was cancelled because of bad sea conditions for the ferry ride to Saba, but was rescheduled 3 days later and we went. The ride over was wavy, but certainly OK. The taxi tour guide was ready upon arrival and off we went after clearing immigration. Mike was an excellent host, guide and driver on very challenging roads. DO NOT rent a car - it takes local knowledge and skill to negotiate the narrow, rock walled streets!! We had a great tour, wonderful lunch at Julianna's Hotel (included), and time to visit a few shops and grocery stores to get a flavor of the incredibly friendly island's culture. The island is much more diverse and picturesque than we could have imagined, and recommend a visit to everyone! The ferry ride back was a bit harrowing as the seas had grown much more rough during the day. The locals on the ferry took it in stride, and we got used to it in time. It takes 90 minutes for the transit under normal conditions, but our trip back took almost 2 hours as the captain had to throttle up and down to avoid slamming into the hills and valleys of the waves. Quite a memory! Communications from the tour operator were excellent throughout.
Review provided by Viator
Caroline_t
Aug 26, 2023
Amazingly beautiful unique island experience. - Everything was wonderful. The captain, the tour guide, the lunch was amazing, and even the Karen on out tour. You can even go for a swim at the restaurant if you bring a bathing suit. We had ours.
Review provided by Viator
Vanterpo
Jul 15, 2023
Best day trip - Our tour guide was not as enthusiastic as I would have liked. However, for an Island that is only 5 square miles, it has a relaxing, peaceful and beautiful. It’s a rock jutting out in the Atlantic Ocean. We visiting a Catholic Church was an original painting in the ceiling.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
7zeven
May 4, 2024
Day trip Saba - Made a day trip to Saba. Saba itself is beautiful!!
We only had our 1.5 year old son with us and that made it less suitable. Saba is especially nice for hiking, which was not an option with him (also in a baby carrier) because it was too strenuous for that.
The journey itself was quite intense, due to high waves. Of course, this will probably be much less on another day. Once you get there you will have about 3.5 hours to explore the island. That's quite short. On second thought, we would have preferred an overnight stay rather than booking.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dalyt1975
May 19, 2023
Saba is Breathtaking! - I truly enjoyed my day trip to Saba (I chose the guided tour/lunch option). The check-in process was smooth and the boat left on-time. The ferry ride was 1.5 hrs each way and a bit bumpy (as expected) but I took a preventative dose of Dramamine 30 min prior to departure (both ways) and was fine.
Once arriving in Saba, we were met by a taxi that gave us a tour of the island (van was not air conditioned but bearable). We stopped at a few places to take photos and after our tour we were left at a nice restaurant for a delicious lunch. We were able to explore the local area on foot (on our own) for almost two hours before we were picked up and taken back to the ferry. Immigration was quick and very easy both ways.
The island is very picturesque, slow-paced and perfectly manicured, like something out of a fairy tale. Everyone knows everyone and visitors are very welcomed - you get waves from residents as you pass by in the taxi. There are no poisonous wild animals on the island - just fat, fluffy wild rabbits hopping around, some chickens and wild goats. After lunch I visited the local museum, which I really enjoyed and took lots of photos.
My day trip to Saba was definitely the highlight of my trip to St. Maarten. I highly recommend!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Claudia_p
Apr 4, 2024
Not as described. - The process of checking passports to leave st. Maarten took so long we didn’t get to Saba until 11:30. Wasn’t enough time to do the full hike. We had the impression we would also have the opportunity to snorkel, as in the description of the tour it states “ Spend the day diving, snorkeling and experiencing the unspoiled natural surroundings on this remote island”. We did NOT snorkel or swim. We were taken around the island by taxi and shown some places, had a couple of stops for photos, and had to meet back at 3:15 after lunch. It’s NOT 8 hours on the island, more like 8 hours when you’re
Meant to be at the police station in Simpson bay, till you return. Not worth it. Fly over, do your own thing is what I’d recommend.
Three starts cause the taxi driver was nice and the boat crew were incredibly attentive and caring.
Review provided by Viator
Dina
Jul 5, 2023
Terrible ferry “captain”: How is this allowed??? - The ferry ride was a nightmare. The captain “Mike” was very rude and unprofessional upfront. He took our boarding tickets and shooed us like chicken into the boat. The sea was rough that day and we understand that, but he was riding the waves while laughing, people onboard were sliding from one side of the ferry to the other. There were about 15 little kids with their families and he had no consideration for that or anyone else in that matter. Almost everyone was throwing up the entire one hour plus ride. I asked him to slow down perhaps and check for the safety of people onboard, he told me to “calm down” and that he’s been doing this for 10 years. I was not screaming nor was I rude in any way. I was deeply concerned and doubted that we will make it to shore… AND both my husband and I are sailors. A woman onboard was thrown outside the ferry too. That was one way and on the way back, can’t say it was any better. There was nothing inside the ferry to hold onto, the cushions were unsecured and were sliding as you slide. The windows had no handles and most of them were broken so all water is splashing on our faces left and right. Our backs are hurting so bad today from yesterday’s ride. The time in Saba was about 4 hours. Saba was nice peaceful island with actually friendly people, unlike the “friendly island” crew on Dint Maarten. Never ever again. It’s not worth it for $160 per person. Not worth our lives, health or family.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
