Saba: Gay-friendly Caribbean Island

We were interested to read in the Miami Herald that there’s a tiny island in the Caribbean, close to St. Maarten, that’s garnered a reputation as being gay friendly.

We won’t spoil the article for you, which you can access here but highlights include the fact that it’s “like Key West” and that it’s a fabulous spot for diving and hiking.

In the meantime, here’s the lowdown on Saba from Wikipedia:

“Its current major settlements include The Bottom, Windwardside, Hell's Gate and St. Johns. Despite the island's Dutch affiliation, English is the principal language spoken on the island and has been used in its school system since 1986. The Netherlands Antillean guilder is the official currency, but the U.S. dollar is accepted everywhere on the island.

Saba is home to the Saba University School of Medicine, which was established by American expatriates in coordination with the Netherlands government. The school adds over 300 residents when classes are in session, and it is the prime educational attraction. A.M. Edwards Medical Center is the major provider of healthcare for local residents.

Saba is slated to become a special municipality within the country of the Netherlands, but the schedule for this transition has been delayed indefinitely.

The island of Saba is known today for tourism, especially its ecotourism. Because the island is relatively new to the tourism industry, it only sees about 25,000 visitors each year. Saba is increasing in its popularity as a vacation destination because of its excellent scuba diving, climbing and hiking. The scuba diving in particular is deep and somewhat challenging; even though Saba is a small island it actually supports not one, but two Hyperbaric chambers in case of diving emergencies. There are few anchorages, and a small airport with service from St. Maarten. There is also ferry service from St. Maarten. The ferries Dawn II and The Edge both travel to Saba three times a week. Saba's brilliantly colorful and pristine coral life make it one of the most sublime places to scuba dive in the world, and is often listed as one of the Top 10 diving destinations. Many attribute the underwater life's purity to the island's remoteness and the caring of the people. The waters around the island were designated as the Saba National Marine Park in 1987, subject to government regulation to preserve its coral reefs and other marine life. Thus, Saba is known as the "Unspoiled Queen" of the Caribbean.”