Can you imagine that there are still countries you’ve never heard of? Well, that happened to us a few months ago when we learned about Saba, an island of just 5 square miles in the northeastern Caribbean Sea, 28 miles southwest of St. Maarten, which is a 12-minute flight or 90-minute ferry ride away. 

Saba has four villages: The Bottom (Saba's capital), Windwardside, St. John's and Zion's Hill (aka Hell's Gate). All are well kept with Gingerbread houses with beautiful gardens. The country is considered a safe place to explore.

What you need to know

American Airlines, United Airlines and COPA all fly to St. Maarten. Take a short local flight or the ferry from there to Saba.

Where to visit

The Bottom is Saba's capital and home to Saba University School of Medicine. (Medical students and faculty make up almost a quarter of the island's entire population.) Home to Queen's Hotel, you'll also find small restaurants, bars and grocery stores in the village.

Windwardside is the most tourist-oriented village. Drop by the Saba Tourist Bureau there. There are also three island hotels and many vacation rental cottages. Wander through small streets, explore museums and shops, or grab a bite to eat. If you're up for some exercise, climb Mt. Scenery Trail to the highest point in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

St John’s is one of Saba’s smaller villages where you can capture scenic shots of the island. Ships and boats can also be seen coming and going to Fort Bay Harbor.

A thousand feet above sea level, Zion's Hill is the first town you'll reach after leaving Saba’s Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport. It’s also the start of the Sandy Cruise trail; the trail takes roughly 2 hours to complete and has stunning views of Diamond Rock and the Saban coastline.

What to take

Saba has an average temperature of around 77-degrees in the winter. That’s warm enough for a bikini, right? Consider this cute CUPSHE high-waist bikini set* or their CUPSHE ruffle bikini adorable one-piece.* With all the trails on Saba, sturdy sneakers are probably a good idea as well. Buy Yelang Women's Walking Shoes* before you go; and for men, check out SKECHERS men's GO-walk shoes* 

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