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Though scuba diving is the main reason most visitors come to St. Eustatius, there is no lack of non-diving activities. Whether you want to explore nature, or discover the island’s history, an adventure awaits.

Take a Tour

People often knock tours. Why pay the money for a tour when you can see the same things walking around on your own? Our experience on St. Eustatius proved that tours are valuable.

We booked our walking tour through the history museum.

Once the hottest part of the day subsided, we met up with our tour guide, Misha.

During the tour, we stop at important historic sites, and sites that are significant to St. Eustatius.

Misha’s family has lived on the island for generations. She was able to tell us firsthand accounts of events passed down from great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. The wonderful stories were something you would never get without taking a tour with Misha.

My favorite story, one year during the island’s huge independence celebration, two guys went hiking in The Quill. They decided it would be nice to light a campfire. The smoke from the fire, billowed out of the volcano crater. From the town, it looked like the volcano planned to erupt. Mass panic ensued. People started to evacuate the island. The independence celebration was ruined.

One of the two guys still resides on the island, and he has never lived the incident down.

If you are visiting St. Eustatius, I highly recommend stopping by the museum and booking a tour.

Visit the History Museum

Though it’s small, the St. Eustatius Historical Foundation Museum is packed with artifacts and information.

There is everything from an indigenous skeleton,

to room recreations.

St. Eustatius, has a dark history. For years it was a major hub for slave trading. Slaves were brought to the island to be sold in what is now a community park.  Whispers of past atrocities still echo on the island.

The museum is beautiful, and well organized. With only a $5.00 entrance fee, it’s a must visit if you are on the island.

Take a Hike

There are several hiking trails on the island. With a short amount of time, we fit in two hikes.

In the previous post, I talked about the most famous hike on the island, The Quill Trail and Crater Loop.

We also hiked the Around The Mountain Trail.

The trail offered some nice views,

we saw The White Wall,

and I never say no to a swing,

but if you only have time to do one hike, do The Quill and Crater trails.

Visit A Fort

There are two forts on St. Eustatius, Fort Oranje and Fort Windt. We only visited Fort Oranje during our stay.

Fort Oranje was undergoing a renovation, so there were sections that were gated off.

Still, it was fun walking around and taking in the views.

I was especially tickled by the community mango tree. Anyone on the island is free to come and pluck a ripe mango.

In the evening, a volunteer arrives to Fort Oranje. First, they take down the flags.

Then, at exactly 6pm, they ring the fort bell, six times.

What’s fascinating, is that the bell ringing task is passed down through the same family. Generation after generation has taken on the job of bell ringer (something else we would not have known if not for our tour).

Be sure to stay after the bell ringing to admire the sunset.

Hang out on the Beach

The beach is a popular place on St. Eustatius. Everyday, after 3pm, locals descend on the beach for a good cooling off.

As our time on the island  dwindled, we knew we had to spend at least a few hours on the beach.

We loaded up on sunscreen and braved the beach during the hottest part of the day. I’m sure the locals thought we were nuts.

The water was refreshing, and we had a nice time splashing around. It was our first beach visit that included goats scampering around on the sand.

Visit The Synagogue 

There was once a Synagogue on St. Eustatius that is now ruins.

The ruins are a lovely piece of historic architecture,

and a great place for pictures.

Though it’s a small island, there are plenty of activities to keep you occupied on St. Eustatius. Scuba dive, take a tour, see historic sites, hike to amazing views, then end the day chilling out with a spectacular sunset.

If you’re looking  for a great travel community to join, check out WeekendWanderlust

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