Saba Hiking Trails: Which to choose if you only have time for one?

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Before I reveal which Saba hiking trail we chose, I have included an overview of  all the hiking trails based on difficulty level.

My husband and I were in Saba for 4 days/3 nights. We had 2 full days for activities.

The first day we spent with Sea Saba on a fantastic snorkeling trip. We saw so many turtles!

This schedule left one day for hiking.

Everyone seems to hike Mt. Scenery, which is the highest point in the Dutch Kingdom. But is this the best hike in Saba?

Mt. Scenery can be moody and suddenly enveloped in cloud cover as you hike to the top. Your effort could end in obstructed views.  

After researching and talking to several locals, everyone seemed to agree.

Hike the Sandy Cruz Trail!

It offers a wide variety of landscapes, is moderate in intensity, and offers some spectacular views. We were sold.

Here’s a quick overview of one of the most beautiful Saba hiking trails on the island.

• Starting and End Point: Queen’s Garden Resort
• Hiking Time: 4 hours round-trip (allow up to 5 hours if you like to stop a lot to take photos, eat a packed lunch, etc)
• Landscape: Rainforest, dry forest, steep ravines, lush vegetation
• Fauna: red-bellied racer snake, Saban anole (lizard only found on Saba), roosters

To start the hike, we walked out of the Queen’s Garden Resort, turned left, and hiked up the road. We passed a sign on the right shortly after that states “Troy Hill, Bottom Mtn, Windwardside, Maskehorne Hills, Buds Mtn, and Mt Scenery.”

Keep walking past it.

Don’t forget to occasionally look behind you. The higher you go, the better the views. The road is steep! It’s like climbing up a giant stair stepper.

Right before the road ends, it will veer to the right. At the bend of the road, we saw a private property on the right with signage on a stone wall that states “Troy Hill Trailhead.”

To the left of the trailhead is a sign that shows a map of Mount Scenery National Park. 

The first part of the trail is relatively flat and easy. We saw signs along the way reassuring us we were on the right trail.

About 20 minutes in, we came across Viewpoint 1 that is marked by a bench.

From this bench, you get a little peek of the sea.

Now the trail gets a little steeper. We passed by some giant elephant ear plants.

There was only one tricky part. About 15 minutes after we passed the first viewpoint, we came across where it appeared the trail either went left or uphill on the right.

Do not veer left and past this run-down gate. There’s a lot of debris. See photo below.

Instead, go right slightly uphill. See the correct trail in the photo below.

The hiking trail now goes through very lush vegetation.

At this point, the trail got very muddy. It had lightly rained that morning, so our shoes were bound to get muddy.

Luckily, at some points, it was as if the elephant ears were perfectly placed on the ground for our feet to step on them and avoid the mud.

This hike was so peaceful. During our entire hike, we only encountered one other hiker and two trail runners.

My favorite part of the trail was towards the top right before we got to Viewpoint 2. The vegetation enveloped you and offered little sneak peeks of the sea below.

We came to another junction. Stay right to stay on the Sandy Cruz Trail.

5 minutes after that junction, we reached Viewpoint 2.

And it’s incredible.

You can actually see the shortest commercial runway in the world below. We kept hoping we would see a plane come in or take off, but no such luck.

Viewing the runway from the Sandy Cruz Trail really does show you how little it actually is.

Roughly 10 minutes after Viewpoint 2, we reached another sign that stated “Elfin Forest” on the right. Had it not rained that morning, we would have highly considered taking the Elfin Trail to Mt. Scenery.

We were strongly advised though not to hike Mt. Scenery after any rain because it can be very slippery and dangerous.

So we pressed on and kept going straight.

Eventually, we saw a house with a brightly-colored red roof and a pool in the distance. This point marked the end of the Sandy Cruz Trail.

It took us roughly 2 hours to get from the Troy Hill Trailhead to the end at Upper Hell’s Gate.

Now you could arrange a taxi to pick you up at the end and drive you back to your resort. Or alternatively, you could have a taxi drop you off at Upper Hell’s Gate and you could hike back to Queen’s Garden Resort.

We wanted the exercise, so we hiked back the same way and made it an out-and-back hike.

On our way back though, we did a little shortcut and cut through the back of the Queen’s Garden Resort that ends at the outdoor dining patio.

We saw a few animals on our hike. The first was a rooster. He would always stay right out of reach and appeared to be hiking with us for a while before veering off deep into the vegetation.

The second animal we saw was a snake. Yes, a snake! And 2 of them to be exact. Saba is home to the red-bellied racer snake. They are harmless (thankfully!).

We also saw the snake’s prey, the Saban anole, which is an endemic lizard.

The males have these beautiful black spots, which make them look like little leopard lizards.  

→     Bring plenty of water. We brought 3 bottles of water for the Sandy Cruz Trail, but I probably should have brought more. In hindsight, I wish I had brought my CamelBak with a hydration bladder, which would have allowed me to be hands-free.

→     Wear good hiking shoes. The trails are often muddy and slippery. I love my Saucony trail runners.

→     This is a long hike if you make it an out-and-back hike. Bring some snacks. Love my Kind bars.

→     Love bringing my GoPro to document all of my hikes. I will eventually get all of my videos posted!

→     Let your hotel know if you are going to hike. There’s no cell reception in most areas, so it’s always good to have someone else know where you are.

→     Consider using walking sticks. There are sections that are muddy and slippery. We didn’t bring them, but that extra stability would have come in handy.

→     Wear sunscreen (love Elta MD!)and a hat (I always bring my Ponyflo), especially on the open trails. Luckily, the Sandy Cruz Trail was mostly shaded.

→     Not all trails are suitable after rain. Do not attempt Mt. Scenery if it rained the night before or of course the day of your hike. We were still able to hike the Sandy Cruz Trail though even though it had lightly rained that morning.

→     Be aware of the manchineel trees, one of the most poisonous trees in the world! The fruit, which looks like a green crabapple, will cause excruciating pain and swelling or potentially kill you with one bite.

Every part of the tree (leaves, sap, bark) is toxic. Never hang out under the tree either especially during or after a rain. If rain washes the sap off the branches, it can drip and blister your skin.

The Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF) Trail Advisory specifically warns hikers to be aware of these trees on the Spring Bay and Giles Quarter Trail.

Time for only one hike?

Well, if you want bragging rights to hiking to the highest point in the Dutch Kingdom, then definitely do Mt. Scenery. However, don’t hike if it’s raining or if there’s a bunch of cloud cover because it will obstruct the views at the top.

Alternatively, I would strongly consider hiking the Sandy Cruz Trail due to its variety of landscapes and beautiful views. Many consider this trail one of the best, and I would certainly have to agree!

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Have you done any of the Saba Hiking Trails? Any favorites?

Let me know in the comments below!