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The Saba Conservation Foundation reports that he new Mary’s Point (Palmetto Point) trail is almost finished!
Palmetto Point was the first settlement formed on Saba in the early-17th Century (c. 1629AD). The first inhabitants had links to pirates from Jamaica! In the last part of the 19th Century it became Mary’s Point because of a woman named Mary Simmons (born Zeegers) who had a large number of children remaining there. In 1934, due to heavy erosion in the area, residents of Mary’s Point were relocated to the Promised Land. The houses were taken down completely, apart from the basements and rebuilt at their new location.
James and the crew at SCF have now built over 200 new steps to the old village. They have stabilized the steep slope and taken out large unstable boulders that could have potentially been dangerous to hikers. There will also be a rope railing at the more difficult parts of the trail.
The trail will be open to the public shortly – stay tuned for an official opening date! We hope you enjoy the hike and walking in the footsteps of Saba’s first inhabitants.
If you want to learn more about hiking the Saba trails, take look at Tom van ‘t Hofs latest guide book:
“On an island of only thirteen square kilometers, the range of hiking opportunities is exceptional. In a single day you can hike from a near-desert ecosystem to a tropical rainforest; from an ocean beach to the top of a volcanic peak; from a beautiful village to a remote backcountry.
The trail system presents a complex mix of ecological and historical themes that will provide hikers with a truly unforgettable experience.”
The best resource for exporing the hiking trail network on Saba
This guidebook includes:
- General inforrnation on the trails, the Saba Conservation Foundation, climate, geology, vegetation and wildlife.
- Saban wildlife descriptions with photographs of common and important species of flora and fauna.
The book is available from the Trail Shop in Windwardside.
SCF