Morgan Car Rental & Design
Bob Morgan's Breadline Plaza outfit — compact cars sized for The Road's hairpin bends
Why Go
Saba is five square miles of volcano stitched together by a single serpentine road that Dutch engineers famously said couldn't be built. Rent a full-size SUV and you'll regret it by the first switchback above Fort Bay. Bob Morgan has been renting sensibly small cars from a corner of the Breadline Plaza for years, and locals will point you his way before they point you anywhere else.
The Experience
Walk into the Breadline Plaza — Saba's only 'mall,' which is really just a cluster of shops in Windward Side — and Morgan's counter is right there in the mix, next to the bakery smell. Bob himself usually handles the paperwork; it's a first-name, handshake kind of transaction rather than a chain-rental checklist. Cars are compact hatchbacks and small SUVs chosen deliberately for the island's 1.5-lane blacktop, the 20 mph average, and the blind curves stacked between Hell's Gate, Windwardside, St. John's, and The Bottom. You'll get a quick briefing on low gears for the descent to Fort Bay, where to leave the car at the trailhead for Mt. Scenery, and which lookouts are worth pulling into. Rates run roughly $55–$110 per day depending on the vehicle, and Bob is reachable on WhatsApp (+599 416 2881 / 416 5893) if you want to arrange pickup at the airport or the ferry dock before you arrive.
What to Try
Take the smallest car on the lot. On Saba you're not driving for comfort — you're driving to reach the Mt. Scenery trailhead, the Sulphur Mine hike above Hell's Gate, the tide pools at Cove Bay, and dinner in another village without walking 40 minutes uphill in the dark. A compact automatic (ask specifically — some are manual) makes the hairpin between Windward Side and The Bottom genuinely fun instead of white-knuckled.
Insider Tip
Message Bob on WhatsApp a day or two before you fly in from St. Maarten — inventory is small and the Winair flight lands with a full planeload of divers who all want wheels. If you're arriving on the ferry to Fort Bay, ask him to leave a car for you at the harbour instead of making you taxi up to Windward Side first; he'll usually accommodate. Also: fill up at the single gas station in Fort Bay before you return the car — Saba has one pump and it closes early.
The Practical Stuff
Located at Breadline Plaza in the heart of Windward Side, Saba's main village. Phone/WhatsApp: +599 416 2881 or +599 416 5893. Daily rates roughly $55–$110 USD; longer stays and dive-week rates negotiable. A valid driver's license from your home country is accepted for short stays. Cars are compact by design — anything bigger doesn't belong on The Road. Cash (USD) and card generally accepted; confirm at booking. Pickup can often be arranged at Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport or the Fort Bay ferry terminal with advance notice.
Pair It With
- Mt. Scenery trailhead — The whole point of having a car on Saba — drive up to the trailhead in Windward Side rather than burning your legs on the road walk before the 1,064-step climb.
- Fort Bay & the dive shops — The road down to Fort Bay is the most dramatic drive on the island; a small car makes the descent to Sea Saba, Saba Divers, and Sea & Learn a joy rather than a chore.
- Angelina's Saba By OwAiChie — A short hop from the Breadline Plaza — grab keys from Bob, then post up nearby for local plates before heading out to explore.
- The Bottom — Saba's capital sits on the other side of the island's spine; having a car turns it from an all-day expedition into a lazy afternoon of wandering pastel streets and the Saba University campus.
