The Botanical Garden, St. Eustatius: The Quiet Slope Below the Quill
A volunteer-built garden on the volcano's eastern flank, with the Atlantic below it.
Why Go
The Miriam C. Schmidt Botanical Garden sits on the south-eastern slope of the Quill, and it is the gentlest thing to do on an island otherwise given over to a crater climb and technical diving. It was built and is largely maintained by volunteers on land that was grazed bare, and the work of putting native and regional species back into it is visible and ongoing. The setting does most of the work: terraced planting on a hillside with the volcano rising behind and the open Atlantic several hundred feet below.
The Experience
The garden is spread across a slope with paths linking a series of planted sections — a palm garden, a kitchen garden, sections for native trees and for species used medicinally on the island — none of it manicured in the way an old European botanical garden would be. It reads as a project rather than an institution, which it is. Birds are the other attraction; the planting has brought them back to a hillside that had very little, and the lookout at the eastern edge takes in the Atlantic coast and, on a clear day, St Kitts. It is very quiet, often empty, and the drive out is over rough ground on the far side of the island from the town. The garden is also an argument about what the island could be. Statia was grazed hard for centuries and much of it is still bare, and the replanting here is a demonstration of what returns when the goats are excluded and native species are put back — which on a small island is a live policy question rather than an abstraction.
What to Try
Walk the paths slowly and use the lookout, which is the best view on this side of Statia and takes in the whole eastern coast. The planting is worth reading rather than glancing at — the medicinal and traditional-use sections explain what people on this island grew and why, which is a more useful window into local history than another fort. From here the Quill's trails are close, and the botanical garden and the crater walk together make a full day on the volcano's flanks. Bring water and food, because there is nothing out here. Bobbies Beach Club and Breeze are the nearest places to eat, back toward the town, and Statia Divers covers the other half of an island visit. Come early if birds are the reason you are going. The hillside is busiest in the first hours of light, and by midday the terraces are hot, exposed and quiet.
Insider Tip
Check that it is open and how to get in before driving out. The garden is volunteer-run on a small island, opening arrangements are not always what a website says, and the track out is rough — arriving to find the gate shut after a bumpy drive across the island is a wasted hour. Ask in Oranjestad; on Statia that is genuinely the most reliable way to find out anything. And take a hat: the terraces are young and the shade is not established yet.
The Practical Stuff
The garden is on the south-eastern flank of the Quill, roughly fifteen to twenty minutes from Oranjestad by road, with the last stretch rough in places — a higher-clearance vehicle is helpful. It is volunteer-run with a small entry or donation, and opening hours are limited and best confirmed locally. There are no facilities on site beyond basic shelter, so bring water and food. Shade is limited because the planting is still maturing. Statia is a special municipality of the Netherlands using the US dollar, with English the everyday language. Access to the island is by small aircraft from St Maarten. The island is in the hurricane belt, roughly June to November, and the tracks are worse after rain.
Common Questions
What is the botanical garden on Statia?
The Miriam C. Schmidt Botanical Garden, built and maintained largely by volunteers on the south-eastern flank of the Quill, replanting native and regional species on ground that had been grazed bare.
Is it worth visiting?
Yes, as the gentle counterpart to the crater climb — terraced planting, good birdlife and the best view on this side of the island. It is a project rather than a grand institution, and reads that way.
How do you get there?
By road from Oranjestad, fifteen to twenty minutes, with the last stretch rough in places. A higher-clearance vehicle helps, particularly after rain.
Are the opening hours reliable?
Confirm locally before driving out. It is volunteer-run on a very small island and arrangements vary, and asking in Oranjestad is the most reliable way to find out.
Are there facilities?
Very few — basic shelter and little else. Bring water and food, and a hat, because the planting is still young and the shade is not established.
Can you combine it with the Quill?
Yes, and it is the natural pairing. The garden sits on the volcano's flank and the crater trails are close, making a full day on the same hillside.
Pair It With
- St. Eustatius, Botanical Gardens Guide — The terraces and the replanting itself.
- Quill National Park Guide — The crater walk on the same volcano.
- Panorama Point Viewpoint Guide — The other view over the eastern coast.
