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Voykit pocket guide · Sint Eustatius
Oranjestad
Oranjestad (Statia)
Oranjestad is a morning-and-dive town: walk the fort and the ruins early, climb The Quill before the heat, rest at midday, eat at the waterfront in the evening — and keep a buffer for the flight home.
Oranjestad is one very small town split into a hill (Upper Town) and a shore (Lower Town), with an airport a few minutes away and a dormant volcano at its edge. There is no public transport plan, so a guesthouse pickup, a hired car or a scooter joins the four areas. Weather and the small-plane connection through Sint Maarten decide whether the trip runs on time.
- Country
- Sint Eustatius
- Local name
- Oranjestad (Statia)
- Best months
- Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · Dec
- Time zone
- America/Kralendijk
- Stay
- 2 days: Upper Town and the ruins, The Quill
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Cash in US dollars for taxis, small shops and guesthouses; cards in some restaurants and dive shops. Ask before you rely on a card.
- Daily spend
- Budget US$30–55 excl. bed · Mid US$55–110 excl. bed · High US$110+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Install an eSIM before you fly; local coverage is patchy on the far side of the island.
- Emergency
- Emergency 112
- Plugs
- 110–120 V; US-style two-pin sockets (types A and B).
- Tipping
- Round up for drivers and guides; a service charge is sometimes added in restaurants.
- Water
- Tap water is safe but many guesthouses provide bottled or filtered water.
- Toilets
- In hotels, restaurants and the airport.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee and pastry | US$4–8 |
| Lunch | US$10–18 |
| Beer, restaurant | US$3–6 |
| Taxi, airport to town | US$8–15 |
| Hired car, per day | US$45–75 |
| One-tank dive | US$60–90 |
| Museum entry | US$3–8 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- F. D. Roosevelt Airport (EUX)
- EUX to Upper Town: one pre-arranged pickup or airport taxi, 5–15 minutes — the risk is a small-plane connection from Sint Maarten that runs late or is cancelled, not the ride.
By rail and road
| Station | Serves | To the centre |
|---|---|---|
| F. D. Roosevelt Airport (F. D. Roosevelt Airport (EUX)) | Small planes from Sint Maarten and neighbouring islands (check operators) | Taxi or guesthouse pickup, 5–15 min, US$8–15 |
| Oranje Bay | Cargo and occasional boats (check) | Walk or short car ride |
Typical fares
- Airport to town, taxi
- US$8–15, 5–15 min
- Town to The Quill, taxi
- US$10–25 (agree the return)
- Hired car
- US$45–75 a day (check)
Show 8 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Eat, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk inside the Upper Town or the Lower Town; take a taxi, a hired car or a scooter between areas and to The Quill. There is no bus or rail.
| How | Fare | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | Free | Inside a cluster |
| Taxi | US$8–25 | Airport, trailheads, evenings |
| Hired car | US$45–75 a day (check) | Several days, The Quill and Zeelandia |
| Scooter | US$30–50 a day (check) | Short trips in daylight |
| Bicycle | Rental (check) | Flat shore road |
Fares are estimates; check before you ride.
- Passes
- No pass. Agree taxi fares before you get in; hire a car or scooter for several days.
- Late at night
- No rail or bus. Taxis are few after dark: ask the guesthouse to book the ride back before you go out.
See and do
01The Quill crater hike
A dormant volcano with a rainforest inside the crater: the island's best day out.
Hours: best First light · Price: Free (park fee, check) · Time: 3 h · 17.4762, -62.9636
02Fort Oranje
Cannons, a cliff and the view over the bay, plus the story of the 1776 salute.
Hours: best Morning · Price: Free · Time: 30–45 min · 17.4838, -62.9852
03Honen Dalim synagogue ruinsHonen Dalim
Roofless walls of one of the oldest synagogues in the Americas.
Hours: best Morning · Price: Free · Time: 15–20 min · 17.4842, -62.9834
04Lower Town warehouse ruinsLower Town
Where Golden Rock trade came ashore; walls stand in the sea.
Hours: best Late afternoon · Price: Free · Time: 30–45 min · 17.4790, -62.9860
05Historical Foundation museumSint Eustatius Historical Foundation museum
The clearest short account of the island's trade and slavery history.
Hours: best Mid-morning or rainy day · Price: US$3–8 (check) · Time: 45 min · 17.4826, -62.9836
06Zeelandia Beach
A long, wild Atlantic beach, best as a look from the sand.
Hours: best Morning · Price: Free · Time: 30–45 min · 17.5030, -62.9800
07A marine park dive or snorkel
Reefs, wrecks and old anchors close to shore.
Hours: best December to April · Price: US$60–90 per dive · Time: Half day
08Sunset at the bay
The simplest good evening on the island.
Hours: best 18:00 · Price: US$10–30 for drinks · Time: 1–2 hHours: best 6:00 PM · Price: US$10–30 for drinks · Time: 1–2 h
09Lower Town warehouse ruins and old waterfrontLower Town
Warehouse walls along the shore, some partly under the sea.
Hours: Open access (check) · Price: Free (check) · 17.4790, -62.9860
10The Quill
A crater hike through rainforest; about three hours round trip.
Hours: Daylight (check) · Price: Free (park fee, check) (check) · 17.4762, -62.9636
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Saba (by air or ferry) | Small plane or ferry (check current operator) | Full day |
| St Kitts | Small plane or boat (check) | Full day |
| Zeelandia Beach | Car, 8–10 min | Half day |
| Marine park boat dive or snorkel | Dive shop boat from the bay | Half day |
| Sint Maarten (SXM) | Winair small plane (check) | Overnight or as a connection |
Eat
| Where | What · area | Price | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supermarket and bakery picnic | Bread, fruit, cheese and a drink · Upper Town | US$5–12 | Budget |
| Upper Town lunch (plate or fish sandwich) | A plate lunch or fish sandwich · Upper Town | US$10–18 | Mid-range |
| Bay snack stops and dive-shop drinks | A snack and a cold drink by the sea · Lower Town | US$6–15 | Mid-range |
| Lower Town waterfront restaurants | Fish, chicken or local plate · Lower Town | US$18–32 | Mid-range |
| Set dinner at your guesthouse | A set dinner at your guesthouse · Upper Town and Lower Town | US$30–50 | Splurge |
Per person, one meal, 2026 estimate. Hours and days change: phone the day before.
Sleep
| Band | Price a night | Where | What |
|---|---|---|---|
| budget | US$70–100 | Upper Town | Small guesthouses |
| mid | US$100–160 | Lower Town | Guesthouses and small hotels |
| splurge | US$170–260+ | Upper Town and Lower Town | Best rooms with views |
Per room per night in US dollars, 2026 estimate; the dry season and Carnival add 10–30%.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hello, good morningEnglish is used every day |
| Thank you | Dank je weldahnk yuh vel |
| Good morning | GoedemorgenKHOO-duh-MOR-khuh |
| Yes / No | Ja / Neeyah / nay |
| Please | AlstublieftAL-stoo-BLEEFT |
| Do you speak English? | Spreekt u Engels?SPRAYKT oo ENG-els |
| How much is it? | Hoeveel kost het?hoo-FAYL kost het |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greetings: Say good morning or good afternoon when you enter a shop or guesthouse.
- Ruins: Stay on paths; do not climb walls or take stones, shells or beads.
- Photos: Ask before photographing people.
- Dress: Cover up away from the beach; swimwear in town is not welcome.
- Diving: Follow marine park rules: do not touch coral or wildlife, and do not collect anything.
- Sunday: Many places are closed; plan meals ahead.
- Animals: Goats, chickens and dogs share the roads: slow down and do not feed them.
Red lines
- Dive and snorkel only with licensed operators and follow marine park rules and fees.
- Do not remove anything from the ruins or the sea floor.
- Ask before photographing people.
Scams and watch-outs
- Taxi or scooter offers with no price: agree the fare, the pickup time and the fuel or insurance terms before you go.
- Souvenirs made from shells, coral or turtle shell: taking them is illegal on the island and export can be blocked; buy local crafts instead.
- Anyone offering to sell you 'blue beads' from the beach: the beads are protected heritage and must stay where they are.
- Unlicensed dive or boat offers from a private person on the shore: use an operator that lists safety kit, insurance and marine park fees.
One and two days
1 day
A long stop or a day trip by air. Skip: The Quill: it needs a full morning.
- 08:308:30 AMFort Oranje
- 09:309:30 AMSynagogue ruins
- 10:3010:30 AMHistorical museum
- 12:3012:30 PMLunch in the Upper Town
- 17:005:00 PMLower Town ruins and dinner by the bay
2 days
The usual short stay. Skip: A second museum visit.
Day 1 — Upper Town
- 08:308:30 AMFort Oranje
- 09:459:45 AMSynagogue ruins
- 10:3010:30 AMHistorical museum
- 12:3012:30 PMLunch
Day 2 — The Quill and the bay
- 06:306:30 AMThe Quill
- 17:005:00 PMLower Town ruins
- 18:306:30 PMDinner at the bay
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Public Entity Sint Eustatius (official): www.statiagovernment.com/
- UK FCDO travel advice: Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/bonaire-st-eustatius-saba
- Wikivoyage — Sint Eustatius: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sint_Eustatius
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
OranjestadOranjestad (Statia)
Brengt u mij naar dit pension, alstublieft
Please take me to this guesthouse
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Take me to
- Honen DalimHonen Dalim synagogue ruins
- Lower TownLower Town warehouse ruins and old waterfront
- Sint Eustatius Historical Foundation museumHistorical Foundation museum
- Emergency112
No embassy on the island: write your embassy's 24-hour line below.
Keep your host's phone number: it is the fastest way to a taxi or a pickup.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/oranjestad-sint-eustatius). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.