Sint Eustatius: The Rock of Ages
Hidden Treasure: Statia's Blue Beads

Sint Eustatius: The Rock of Ages

Just a few miles away from St. Maarten/St. Martin lies one of the most fascinating places in the region, largely overlooked by a tourism industry that all too often is blinded by the quest for the perfect beach. St. Eustatius — Statia to those who know it — will not feature anywhere near the top of the list of best beaches in the Caribbean. But what it offers instead is absolutely remarkable. Touted as one of the best ecotourism centers around, Statia is well known for its hiking trails, highly reputed for its diving and totally unparalleled in terms of its share in the history of the Caribbean. Most importantly, however, it still offers a genuine and firsthand look at what the islands were like decades ago: peaceful, friendly and quiet — Statia is a day trip you should not miss!

You will have to take a short flight to get there, but even that will do nothing other than enhance your excitement, as the cute Twin Otter that takes you there adds to the sense of adventure and takes the word “remote” to an entirely new level. And that is even before you step onto the tarmac of Franklin Delano Roosevelt Airport, an almost stereotypically small, quaint, tidy house that serves as the “terminal” of the island. And that sets the tone to your visit, as one thing that will likely strike you is the level of care Statians put into the maintenance of their island: painted houses, clean roadsides, good road signs and even good roads!

Depending on how long you plan to stay, your activities might have to be either in heaven or, say,  Waterworld, because Statia offers outstanding diving and hiking experiences, but you will not be able to do both in one day. Which is just as well, as this will allow you to enjoy the pleasant homeliness of the Old Gin House Hotel a little longer.

Most people, however, choose the water, because that is what has brought them down to Statia in the first place. Surrounded by deep waters, Statia's greatest advantage over so many other islands in the past has again become its greatest asset. Known as “The Golden Rock,” Statia was once the richest of the West Indies, due largely to the fact that it had a naturally sheltered deep-water harbor. That, of course, and the fact that it belonged to the Dutch Republic, whose policy of total neutrality following disastrous wars against the English and the French toward the end of the 17th and the beginning of the 18th centuries, allowed them to take full advantage of the “free ships, free goods” policy prevalent at the time.

The years of great bonanza were short for Statia, stretching from 1756, when the island was declared a “free port,” to 1781 when a British attack absolutely devastated the island. During that time, however, Statia was the regional center of trade and the transshipment metropolis of the western hemisphere. Unfortunately, it remains as an indictment of the mentality of the times that, even as Statia thrived in business, the level of development on the island, by means of urban arrangement or even political structure, was eerily precarious. The bulk of the construction was confined to warehouses along the coastline of Oranjestad, some of which have been nicely restored. Other historical sites include the Government’s Guesthouse; Honem Dalim, one of the oldest Synagogues in the region; and the pristinely preserved Fort Oranje.

To American tourists the often-told story of the Andrew Doria may strike a familiar chord. A brig waving the revolutionary flag, it called at St. Eustatius for replenishment, fired 11 shots upon entering the harbor and was acknowledged by Commander De Graaf, Governor of the island, in the traditional way, with shots being fired back from Fort Oranje. However, the significance of this event, the first sign of recognition of any nation to the revolutionary cause, goes further than it might at first appear. Not only did it entail the imminent economic doom of Statia, as the island would now be the full recipient of British spite, but it also is illustrative of the amount of ammunition, materials, goods, not to mention actual boats, sunk by belligerent forces and deposited over the centuries on the waterbed of Statia’s coastline.

Fast-forward a few hundred years and the result is an enviable marine wildlife within a setting that is already staggering without the need of external factors. St. Eustatius has over 10 square miles of national marine parks that encompass coral reefs attached to the underwater volcanic formations, as well as the relatively shallow-water systems over rocks on a sandy bottom. There are three dive operators on the island (Dive Statia, Scubaqua and Golden Rock), and all diving must be done through them. It is well worth it, though, as you will find so many creatures among the corals and sponges, from standard eels and lobsters to elegant rays, funny turtles or adorable sea horses. And, while you are at it, look out for blue beads: Legend has it that slaves wore them during their captivity, perhaps as a sign or marking. Whatever the case, the story goes on to say that once they were finally freed, they ripped the beads from their necks and threw them as far as they could into the sea. Now, imagine how many of them there must have been for us to continue finding blue beads to this day.

Your trip to Statia is not complete without a visit to The Quill, a dormant volcano that gives you the opportunity to walk through an elfin forest on your way into the bowels of the earth. Because The Quill rises sharply from the ground, only to steep even deeper on the inside, you’ll find the perfect setting for a rain forest that will leave you flabbergasted.

And it will not be until you are sitting on the same Twin Otter heading back north that you will fully understand that tiny Statia is a world of its own. Come and discover it!

Hidden Treasure: Statia's Blue Beads

In Statia, the search for tiny blue beads is a pastime of locals and visitors in the know. But why? Well, these beads are representative of Statia's unique history: hundreds of years ago, they originated in Amsterdam and made their way to the Dutch West Indies through the seafaring ships of Dutch East India Company. The beads were used to value the enslaved African captives and have appeared all over the New World. Many of these beads were stored in Statia and were used as payment for wages and bartering until the time of emancipation. According to local folklore, after emancipation the folklore explains that Statians went to the cliffs and threw their beads into the sea, signifying their release from slavery and ability to earn real money. And it's said that once you find a bead, you are forever connected to Statia and will return again and again. Happy hunting!