This Is One of the Caribbean’s Smallest Islands—With 200 Shipwrecks, Ancient Volcanoes, and No Crowds

In the 1700s, Sint Eustatius was the biggest, busiest harbor in the Western Hemisphere. Today, the island, now better known as Statia, is one of the least known in the Caribbean, free of touristy kitsch and crowds. Divers come for its pristine coral reefs, 200 or so shipwrecks, and wildly diverse marine life—a new ecosystem with every 10-minute boat ride. Historians and archaeologists come because this is the “Pompeii of the New World,” four centuries visible at once. Nature lovers come to explore the island’s vast protected parkland, teeming with tropical flowers and gentle wildlife. Hikers scale The Quill, a dormant volcano of extraordinary beauty, and Boven, a group of extinct volcanoes at the island’s other end.

Those volcanoes saved Statia from mass tourism, leaving narrow strips of silvery gray or taupe sand edged in rock, rather than flat, white-sand beaches begging for umbrella drinks. “Statia is … pure,” says Mike Harterink, who moved here from the Netherlands to open a dive shop. “It’s the real deal.” The island is deliberately underdeveloped. When a project idea is broached, “Everybody says, ‘Are you sure? Look at the roses!’” says Achsah Mitchell, who works for the Sint Eustatius National Parks Foundation. “There’s a hesitation.” Nor do the locals fawn over tourists, she adds. “They’re here to join the experience. We need to be happy, and you come and join the vibe.”

This year, the island celebrates the 250th anniversary of the First Salute. On Nov. 16, 1776, the Andrew Doria sailed into harbor flying the defiant flag of the 13 U.S. colonies. Statia’s Fort Oranje returned the salute, thus issuing the first formal recognition of the new United States of America. The Brits were furious, and their royal navy sacked the island.

Today, people from at least 20 nationalities coexist happily here, and it’s a great place for a party. The temperature is so steady, you always feel cradled. Even the waves seem playful, sweeping you into their rhythm. Statia has no traffic lights; the only jams come when goats are crossing the road or when two cars heading in opposite directions stop to chat. Nobody honks in anger here, only in greeting. No one is in a hurry. Here’s how to plan the perfect trip to Statia.

Best Hotels & Resorts

The Old Gin House

This spot was a public guesthouse in 1760, later a factory (the gin refers to cotton, not booze). Built in front of the factory ruins, the current incarnation boasts comfortable rooms and suites with ocean or garden views and a waterfront restaurant. Its location in Gallows Bay—looking up at The Quill and out at the harbor—makes it a popular gathering spot for locals and guests alike.

Papaya Inn

Small, immaculate, and cheerful, Papaya Inn has bright Caribbean decor and a neighborly feel. The emphasis is on hospitality and nature, with a surrounding tropical garden. Consistently recommended by locals, the property stands smack in the middle of the island—you can walk from the airport, if your suitcase cooperates, and you’re just minutes from the historic sites of Oranjestad.

Golden Rock Dive and Nature Resort

Sitting at the base of The Quill, this 40-acre resort has a remote location, even for a small island. Guests can expect spa services, a top-notch restaurant, and organized activities, but it’s still worth venturing out to explore further. The property’s name, Golden Rock, echoes Statia’s colonial nickname.

Quill Gardens Boutique Hotel

There’s more local flavor at this boutique hotel, a blue-and-white mansion set at the foot of The Quill on the road to the English Quarter. Iwan Hokahin, the chef-owner of the Barrelhouse, praises his rival for its “great Indonesian food once a week. They do everything from scratch. And the place has history,” he says.

Best Things to Do

Hang out at the harbor, scuff a gravel parking lot, and you might find a broken clay pipe or a bit of blue and white Dutch pottery glazed in the 1600s. Ruins of the old warehouses line the street, the yellow brick draped in tropical vines. The rusted pier is original, and in the water, you can make out a submerged sea wall now covered in coral.

On the island’s north side, hike Boven, its hills left by ancient volcanoes and softened by grassland. Rocky outcrops are covered in cacti and acacia and look down on secluded bays. At Zeelandia Beach, the tide is too rough for swimming, but you can spot red-billed tropicbirds nesting in the cliff face and watch baby sea turtles make their way to the ocean.

In the Upper Town, find the Sint Eustatius Historical Foundation Museum, where divers and archaeology buffs go to learn about what they’ve seen. Walk the cobblestone streets, admire the neatly preserved Dutch colonial architecture, and stop for lunch at the Ocean View Terrace before heading to Lynch Bay to see the Berkel Family Museum, a home that opens its doors to educate guests about the island ways.

Also worth exploring: the ruins of the 1755 Dutch Reformed Church, plastered white as a beacon for those at sea, and the yellow-brick synagogue Honen Dalim, one of the first in the Americas.

Divers will want to head to Chien Tong, a wrecked fishing boat nicknamed “turtle hotel.” Glide through dim darkness alongside hawksbill and green turtles by daylight, then return at night and watch the site’s nocturnal action come alive in lit-up color. You can also swim at little Gallows Bay Beach, behind the Scubaqua Dive Center, then join the divers for a beer and listen to their tales of the giant octopus and Caribbean reef sharks.

If you prefer a land-based adventure, climb The Quill and descend into the crater rim, lush with a miniature rain forest of lianas, silky mosses, orchids (16 species), giant ferns, colossal elephant ears, and silk cotton trees. Or, visit the clifftop Fort Oranje, where that famous First Salute was issued.

Best Nightlife

You are not coming to Statia for nightlife—not unless you time your trip for a concert, a holiday festival, or the annual carnival, which celebrates the island’s Afro-Caribbean-Dutch heritage. You can hear the music’s insistent drumbeat all over the island—not raucous, but low and thrilling, like a racing heart. Voices in the distance rise above the music, and bodies break free from gravity, starting with the opening Jump Up ceremony. At sunrise, people parade in costume through the streets. And for a bit of carnival year-round, there’s a monthly Taste of the Cultures, where people from other nearby islands prepare traditional foods for a whopping $5. Otherwise, listen for strains of calypso, soca, or reggae. You might end up dancing by the water at NatsKitchen Boardwalk Cafe or driving up to Hill Top View, gazing over at St. Kitts as the sun sets and eavesdropping on the local gossip.

Best Restaurants

Barrelhouse

You’ll dine at the water’s edge, on the terrace of a warehouse built in the early 1700s, at the Barrelhouse. Your chef grew up here, traveled the world, then returned to fuse comforting local cuisine with Peruvian, Japanese, and Indian influences (but kept classics like lobster bisque and beef tenderloin pure). The ambience is rustic and relaxed, without a whiff of the tension food done this well sometimes generates.

The Old Gin House

When two guys from Connecticut opened The Old Gin House, they held weekly dinners for the community. They’d roast a suckling pig with coffee blossoms in the snout, make peanut soup, stuff lobster, and finish with chocolate mousse. Wine was complimentary. That part has changed, alas, and the menu has been updated, but the hospitality is just as warm.

Ocean View Terrace

This local favorite sits in the courtyard of the Government House in historic Oranjestad, with a terrace overlooking Fort Oranje and the ocean. “The atmosphere is nice, and the host is friendly—he’s always cracking bad jokes,” says local Lucinda Redan, a school teacher on the island. “You get a lot of food for your money, and it’s fresh.”

Breeze Restaurant at Golden Rock Resort

Start with a drink at Bobbie’s Beach Club, near the lagoon, then grab a bite to eat at Breeze Restaurant, which plucks fresh produce from its own greenhouse and regularly updates its sophisticated menu. Enjoy your meal at twilight, gazing down at the foaming riptides of the Atlantic.

Best Time to Visit

Conventional tourism prefers the dry season—November through April—because it’s less humid, but Statia’s rainy season is hardly a problem. Light downpours pop up fast and last about 10 minutes. Hotel prices stay the same year-round, and temperatures bobble around 80 degrees Fahrenheit, with cooler evenings and soft breezes. Hurricane season starts in June, peaks in September, and ends in November. Other timing considerations are more fun: Statia Day is Nov. 16 and King’s Day is April 27. Carnival lasts for two weeks in late July. Whales swim past the island from January through April.

How to Get There

Fly to St. Maarten and either take the Makana Ferry, which is pleasant, slow, and affordable, but not always convenient, or a 20-minute flight on Winair. You’ll land at the F.D. Roosevelt Airport, named because an ancestor of the 32nd U.S. president settled on Statia to represent the family’s interest in the sugar trade—and piled up money that would later launch FDR into politics.

How to Get Around

“There’s no traffic; that alone gives you peace,” says Mitchell. The island is only five miles long and two miles wide, and much of it is preserved as parkland. Though a few guidebooks claim bus service is available, there is none. But taxis cluster at the airport, cars are easy to rent, and much can be done on foot. A steep but short walking path takes you up from the Lower Town and harbor to the historic district in about nine minutes. Either start behind The Old Gin House or walk to the green gate with the sign “Don‘t let the goats in, no matter what they tell you.”

You’ll need WhatsApp to communicate easily with drivers and tour guides. You might also want to hire a fisherman to give you a boat tour from one end of the island to the other—ideally at sunset. Keep your eyes on the cliff face as you head north on the island’s east side, and you might see the image of one or two elephants in the rock.

English is spoken more commonly than Dutch, and the currency is the U.S. dollar. Bring cash as well; not everyone takes plastic, and those who do shun AmEx.