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Dive
Saba Travel
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I first fell in love with Saba as a hiker and later learned to dive. Exploring Saba on foot is an excellent way to meet the local folks, discover it's charming building style or explore the varied terrain. From little walks into town to more planned excursions, Saba offers mild adventure for the flatlander or the gung-ho hiker. Dive Saba Travel packages usually offer at least one day off from diving to chill out or explore. If you take a day to go hiking, I recommend you spend a few hours with the legendary Crocodile James, Saba's trail guide. From the Mary's Point relocation in the 1930's to what plants his grandma used to cure headaches, James is one of Saba's most colorful characters.
I've outlined some of my personal favorites to
give you an idea of the levels of hiking Saba has to offer:
Saba's Natural HeritageImagine yourself on one of Saba's nature trails. Walking up Mt. Scenery, you pass through several different types of tropical vegetation. At an altitude of about 1,600 to 2,00 feet, you see from the trail a well-developed secondary rain forest with a 15 to 30 foot high tree layer. Further up the trail you walk through a "treefern break", characterized by 13 to 16 foot tree ferns. Considered a pioneer vegetation following the destruction of the rain forest by man, or by fire, the treefern stands as positive proof of the continuing process of nature to overcome all obstacles. At an altitude of about 2,600 feet you pass through the "palm break" which is dominated by a beautiful species of palm tree. At about 2,700 feet above sea level, you enter the "Elfin Forest", also called cloud forest. The canopy of this forest is almost permanently enveloped in clouds. Water condensing on the trees is slowly released to the soils below. Saba's Elfin Forest stands out among the Caribbean forests because of the exceptional height of the dominant tree, the Mountain Mahogany (Freziera undulata). Look carefully and you'll see a sampling of Saba's wildlife, such as the endemic anole lizard (Anolis sabanus) and a cute harmless racer snake, along the mountain trails. Is that an iguana sunbathing on the wall along the road? And look up too! Over 60 species of birds have been recorded on Saba. Two species of tropic birds can be found nesting on the steep cliffs overlooking the ocean. During breeding season, the Bridled tern, Sooty tern and Brown noddy call Saba's Green Island home, and the Brown bobby commonly roosts on Diamond Rock. The Redtail hawk and the American Kestrel can be seen along the lower slopes around the island. Once you are in the rain forest, you may see the rare Bridled quail dove, locally called "wood hen". Two species of birds, the Trembler and the Purple-throated hummingbird, are found almost exclusively in the Elfin Forest and the rain forest of Sandy Cruz. Saba boasts numerous nature trails, each offering a unique hiking experience,
bringing you in close contact with the natural and historical features of the island. The Saba Conservation Foundation MissionThe Saba Conservation Foundation is a non-profit organization whose primary objective is to preserve and manage the natural environment of Saba above as well as below the sea. To achieve this goal, The Saba Conservation Foundation:
You can help to preserve Saba's Natural beauty by joining the
Saba Conservation Foundation "Friends" Make the Difference!Saba is worth preserving! Please help preserve Saba's natural beauty by joining the Saba Conservation Foundation today. The Foundation will keep you informed about the progress of environmental work on Saba through a newsletter. You will also receive invitations to various activities such as lectures, slide presentations, films, nature excursions, and workshops. Please mail subscriptions to one of the following addresses:
Please include with your subscription, your name, address, and the category of your subscription.
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acquires land for the
development of parks and protected areas.
