St Eustatius — known locally as Statia — is a small Dutch Caribbean island of about 21 square kilometres, lying between St Kitts and Saba in the northern Leeward Islands. It is one of the least-visited islands in the Caribbean, which is much of its appeal.
The island was once known as the "Golden Rock" for its importance as a free-trade port in the 18th century. At its peak, thousands of ships a year called here. The Americans consider the island historically significant because it was the first foreign territory to salute the American flag — in 1776, when the Andrew Doria arrived flying the new Stars and Stripes. Little remains of this mercantile glory: the town of Oranjestad consists of an upper and lower section connected by a long staircase, with ruins of old Dutch warehouses along the waterfront.
The dormant volcano, The Quill, rises to 600 metres in the south of the island and contains a lush rainforest crater. Hiking to the rim and down into it takes a morning. The diving around the island — particularly around the old ruins and anchors on the seabed — is excellent and sees very few divers. Fort Oranje in the upper town marks the site of the first foreign salute to the American flag in 1776. The roofless Dutch Reformed church ruins and the Historical Foundation Museum fill out the historical picture.