The island of Saba emerges in the Caribbean like a dreamy paradise. It belongs to the Netherlands Antilles in the Leeward Islands and it is the smallest within this five-island group. Its surface is just 8 square kilometers and it's 45 km away from Saint Marteen. There're only four towns on the island: The Bottom, Windwarside (the capital), St. John's and Hell's Gate. Its airport is known for having the world's shortest runway for commercial flights -just 400 meters long. Columbus discovered the island in 1493. The very first islanders got there in 1635 and wound up to be a group shipwrecked Britons. Through the following centuries, people from different nationalities settled down on this island ruled by the Dutch since 1816. Saba is a quiet island stripped of huge casinos and go-go disco clubs. Yet there're some hotels for you to have a lovely stay and kick up your heels; there are also some restaurants and bars to have a good time and meet interesting people. Every now and then parties are held for visitors to dance to the beat of salsa music and other Caribbean rhythms. Weather in mountainous Saba is good almost all year round. Well-known Mount Scenery, an 880-meter-high, 1,064-step volcano, the highest peak in all the Dutch Kingdom, is one case in point. The island is an oasis for nature lovers. Despite the lack of beaches, there're many spectacular options like the tropical jungle teeming with flowers and magnificent plants, birds and a rare wildlife overall. The Saba Conservation Foundation has interesting routes in store for you. There're also many scuba diving locations around the island. All the coastline and the surrounding sea make up the Saba Marine Park. The underwater world is magical and completely unexplored, well protected and preserved. There's a ballpark figure of 30 buoy-marked scuba diving locations waiting just for you.