Windwardside

Windwardside sits on a ridge partway up Saba with the ground dropping away on both sides and Mount Scenery rising behind it, and it holds most of the island's small hotels, restaurants and dive operators. The houses follow the same white walls, red roofs and green shutters as the rest of Saba. The Mount Scenery trail starts from the edge of the village and the cloud regularly comes down through the streets.

History

European settlement of Saba began in the 1640s, and by the 1860s Windwardside was one of seven districts on the island, each with its own elected head; St. Paul's Conversion Church was built in 1860 on the grounds of the old quarantine station, and in 1865 the village had 573 people living from farming, fishing and Saba lace. Emigration cut it to 302 people by 1972, and in the late 20th century it grew again with the tourism office, restaurants, shops, a bank and hotels (Wikipedia, Windwardside).

The main sights

• The ridge setting - the village strung along a spine with ground falling both sides.
• The uniform houses - white walls, red roofs and green shutters throughout.
• The trailhead - the Mount Scenery steps beginning at the village edge.
• The cloud - mist coming down through the streets on most days.

When to go

December to April is drier. Cloud and rain are frequent at this altitude in any month. Hurricane season runs June to November.

Before you go

It is very small and quiet, and evening options are few. Cloud sits over the village often enough to matter. Everything closes early.

Nearby

Mount Scenery is above, and The Bottom is southwest.

Key facts