Zion's Hill

Zion's Hill sits on the shoulder of Saba above the airport, known for most of its history as Hell's Gate, a name the village has been steadily replacing. Its church, Holy Rosary, is built of stone in a way that makes it look older than it is. Women here made the drawn-thread work known as Saba lace, and the road below runs down to the airstrip on its shelf of rock. The name Hell's Gate is said to come from the rough ground below the village rather than from anything about the place itself.

Background

Locals divide the village in two. At 450 metres, Upper Hell's Gate ranks as the highest village anywhere in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, while Lower Hell's Gate lies at approximately 300 metres; some maps extend it down to Flat Point and the airport. The village had 161 people in 1865 and 206 by 1972, and 283 were counted in 2001. The first Queen of The Holy Rosary Church, built in 1911, was wooden, and the stone building replaced it in 1962. The Road reached the village in 1958 and public electricity in 1964. Remy de Haenen made the first aircraft landing on Saba at Flat Point in 1959, and a solar park beside the airport began operating in 2019.

Source: Wikipedia, "Zion's Hill"

The main sights

• Holy Rosary church - stone-built and looking older than its date.
• The two names - the village known both as Zion's Hill and Hell's Gate.
• The airport view - the airstrip on its shelf of rock below.
• The lace tradition - the drawn-thread work made in this village.

When to go

December to April is drier. Cloud is frequent on the shoulder. Hurricane season runs June to November.

Good to know

There is very little in the village and an hour covers it. The road is steep and narrow throughout. Facilities are essentially none.

Nearby

The airport is below, and Windwardside is southwest.

Key facts