A touch of Europe in the Caribbean

THESE three laid-back Caribbean islands are home to relaxed locals and good diving, writes Ingrid Piper.

st eustatius

FOR amazing tropical beaches, great diving, fabulous food and holidays unspoilt by mega-cruise ships, head for the Caribbean islands of Saba, St Eustatius (Statia) and St Barthelemy (St Barts).

The islands are just above the top of South America and while they're only a "puddle jumper" (light plane flight) apart, each has its own distinct character, making this trio the perfect Caribbean holiday.

Saba

I once promised my mum I'd never hitch-hike again but seduced by Saba's Caribbean ease, I broke that promise because of an iguana.

They weren't just any old iguanas, they're rare and big and remarkably elusive in the blazing midday sun, and because the 13sq km island is basically cone shaped, anywhere you walk is either going up or down hill.

With iguana-spotting hopes dashed and facing a several hundred metre uphill climb up from the island's port, in blistering heat, I stuck my thumb out and discovered Saba's secret - it's a hitchhiking paradise. Locals will happily stop, share their news, gossip disarmingly about other island inhabitants and deliver you to your doorstep with a smile and a wave, reappearing later as your bartender or restaurant owner.

The 1600 or so Sabans (boosted by medical students at the island's university) live in a Dutch protectorate producing a delightfully quaint combination of European orderliness and Caribbean attitude.

Houses are painted white with red roofs and green shutters. Miniature windmills replace garden gnomes and neat stone walls line streets in the two town centres, The Bottom (named after its location rather than that part of your anatomy) and Windwardside. Looming over everything is Mt Scenery (877m), a tropical forest-clad volcanic cone. Its summit is covered in a rare cloud rainforest where tiny birds disappear into deep moss growing on ancient trees festooned with orchids. There's an eerie otherworldliness about being inside a cloud among strange plants that makes this steamy walk especially rewarding, despite the slippery and at times treacherous muddy track. Alternatively, there are drier hikes on the cone's lower slope that have spectacular ocean views.

Saba doesn't have the usual sapphire beaches associated with the Caribbean but people who visit the island are there for what lies underneath the water, for this is an internationally recognised diver's paradise with warm water, lava tunnels and spectacular marine life.

If you don't own a yacht then you'll probably arrive on Saba by air, landing on its legendary Juancho E. Yrausquin airport where departing passengers crowd around the tiny bar nonchalantly attempting to gain some last-minute "Dutch courage". This is because the airstrip's extremely short (396m) tarmac is probably one of the most hair-raising landings and take-offs you'll ever make. The tiny aircraft - " puddle jumpers" as Winair's propeller planes are called - appear to land on something that looks, from the air, little longer than a cricket pitch. For a lasting memory of Saba, don't forget to take a good look at those rather nasty jagged rocks just metres below as you take off.

Need to know

Fly: Winair, fly-winair.com

Stay: Scout's Place, sabadivers.com

Drink: Cocktails with a view at Shearwater Resort, shearwater-resort.com

Eat: Brigadoon at Windwardside: for elegant dolphin tailed snapper with almonds

Dive: seasaba.com or sabadivers.com

St Eustatius
(locals call it Statia)

The turquoise water spreads off into the horizon, beads of water sparkle down the side of my rum punch, palm fronds rustle in the trade winds and, right on cue, there's a pirate ship in Oranjestad harbour.

These days, the sight of a sailing ship arriving at the island of St Eustatius causes not a ripple - there are even a few Jolly Rogers flying on shore to welcome arrivals - but this somewhat overlooked Caribbean island had a very bloody past.

The French, Dutch, British and various pirates all plundered and squabbled over this tiny (30sq km) volcanic outcrop in the Caribbean which was once one of the busiest ports for cargoes of slaves and sugar. The island's acknowledgement of America's independence from Britain - the first foreign nation to do so - proved its downfall when the British retaliated by blowing its port, Oranjestad, to smithereens.

Today, it's easy to walk into the sea off the black sand beach and snorkel over remnants of those old town walls. If you're lucky, you might even spot a cannon lying in just a few metres of water in the harbour as well as stingrays and squirrel fish.

Of these three islands, Statia is the most underdeveloped but most visitors aren't there for the nightlife, they're focused on its spectacular diving, brilliant aquatic creatures and the wreck of the Charles L. Brown, a cable-laying vessel the islanders bought for the bargain price of just $1. Divers occasionally find much-coveted blue beads, which were once used to pay the island's slaves.

For non-divers, life on Statia is low-key. The town centre's narrow, winding streets are lined with historic buildings and ruins. Dropping by the museum will leave you better informed about the struggles of plantation life, the slave trade and the multinational battles that took place over the island's ownership.

There's a beautifully preserved fort that overlooks Oranjestad harbour and, at night, the odd amiable cow prowls the empty streets of the town. During the day, watch for an unexpected flash of red and green as the island's introduced but free-flying macaws make noisy guest appearances in flowering trees or spot tiny emerald-green hummingbirds darting between flowers.

At night, be spellbound by fireflies flitting erratically overhead above the historic stone walkway from the harbour to the town centre.

Like Saba, the island is dominated by an extinct volcano, called The Quill, and it's possible to hike the 600m to its summit and then head down into its dormant cone using fixed ropes. They make the descent simple but it's best to avoid being on a section of the rope if a larger person than you happens to be heading up it or you might find yourself swinging around, Tarzan-like.

Other walks around the summit lead to the island's botanic gardens but, if you do decide to hike further, take lots of water as the trail can be very hot and dry. Although the view of the island of St Kitts, the next island to the south, is great, the track is not clearly signposted.

The habit of fist-sized hermit crabs to roll downhill towards you and the presence of numerous red-bellied racer snakes (fortunately non-venomous) make this part of the journey difficult, partly due to the tendency of these snakes to lie across the track.

Apart from its siren song for divers, Statia is off the beaten track for tourists, which means there is only a handful of places to stay on the island and few restaurants - but on this laid-back island, who needs choice?

Need to know

Fly: Winair fly-winair.com

Eat: The Original Fruit Tree, a bar and garden restaurant, the place to be seen in Statia. On Queen Beatrix Rd

Stay, Drink: Old Gin House, a great place to relax with drinks at sunset, is an 18th-century cotton gin mill. oldginhouse.com

St Barts

There's a reason why Russian oligarchs, supermodels, superstars and their supersized yachts head for this Caribbean island and that's because it's simply gorgeous.

The locals on St Barts (or more formally St Barthelemy) are stylishly understated, the French-inspired food is astonishing, it's a duty-free port and the beaches are magnificent.

It is, in fact, quite heavenly, given the current strength of the Aussie dollar against the euro.

Early in the morning, the port of Gustavia buzzes as boat crews polish moored mega-yachts whose decks are adorned with white orchids and potted cumquats, as other workers load bottles of French champagne on board or visit provedores to stock up on exotic delicacies.

Boutique shops and European luxury brands line the narrow streets of the town of Gustavia which still retain their Swedish names as a reminder of the island's previous owners. Intriguingly the port is actually named after King Gustav III, whose assignation became the subject of Verdi's opera A Masked Ball.

It's easy to slip into a holiday routine of browsing, brunch and beaches on St Barts. Choosing which beach suits your mood will probably be the hardest decision to make each day. There's the Shell Beach where the "sand" is actually thumbnail-sized pink shells. You can go windsurfing at St Jean, surf at Toiny or get rid of the tan lines at the wonderfully private Anse de Grande Saline, basking in the warm, calm water of the sheltered bay.

St Barts locals are keen to preserve their pristine beaches and children have contributed their artwork to create colourful and chic cigarette butt bins at the entrances to most beaches.

It's possible to go diving but it's easier (and cheaper) to hire snorkels and flippers at the surf shop in St Jean and head for Anse de Colombier to swim with wild turtles.

While at St Jean, buy a baguette or cake at the patisserie - they're so good you'll be back for more.

In keeping with its French heritage, the food on this island is spectacular and surprisingly cheap. Up-market restaurants have great lunch specials (from $14/€11) but dinner at Wall House in Gustavia is highly recommended. The food is terrific, the harbourside location is romantic and the dessert trolley unbeatable. When we couldn't decide what to choose, our waitress simply gave us all nine desserts. Finish any meal with the island's specialty - spiced rum with vanilla, orange or coffee.

Lunching locals pack JoJo's, a roadside cafe, for fresh mahi mahi burgers. While they're cooking, check out the brightly decorated cemetery across the road or watch more spiced rum being added to midday coffee hits.

For one of the most spectacular views in the world, do lunch or drop in for a cocktail by the infinity pool at the very up-market Le Gaiac restaurant in the Hotel Le Toiny, as the sapphire-blue waters of the Caribbean dance and sparkle below.

When the sun sets, there are plenty of bars and private parties.

In January, there's a music festival where international artists such as the Jerusalem String Quartet perform to a packed audience in a local church, while the warm trade winds bang the shutters and electric lights flicker.

At just 22sq km, St Barts is an intimate place and thankfully avoids the high-rise condominiums that spoil nearby St Martin.

Ordinary folk usually hire a villa or stay in bungalows or small boutique hotels such as the friendly and quirky Le Normandie.

There, the nightly ritual of a glass of wine by the pool means you'll get to know your fellow guests and the exceptionally friendly and extremely helpful staff.

Need to Know

Fly: Winair fly-winair.com

Eat: Wall House, Gustavia, lunch and dinner, wallhouserestaurant.com

Eat: Piripiri Palace for creole cuisine, pipiri-palace.stbarthsrestaurants.tel

Stay: Le Normandie, normandiehotelstbarts.com

Travel: By Voyager ferry from St Martin, voy12.com
 

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