Statia

Statia (St. Eustatius) is a small island with a couple of houses amid old ruins that tumble into the sea. On top of the cliff, the small town peeks out through the trees. To the north a perfect volcanic cone looks down from 2,000 feet. Little movement breaks the unparalleled peace and tranquillity. All along the shore a sea wall protects a long street of shops and warehouses. There are many excellent hiking trails and the scuba diving is superb. In addition to the main attractions of the town, the tourist office has an excellent hiking map. The most energetic and rewarding hike (3 hours) is up the volcano and down into the Quill crater. Going is a bit tough on the way up but gets easier once reaching the trees. At the rim, a path leads to the Mazinga - the highest point - but the growth is so dense that it does not offer the best views. A side trip along this trail for about 75 yards provides a great view into the crater. The dense rain forest in the crater has some of the largest trees in the Leewards with most amazing buttress roots, some 7 feet high. The bottom is quite eerie with rustling leaves and cooing doves (thousands).