Know As The Caribbean's Hidden Treasure!

The locals refer to this 11.8 square-mile island in the Netherlands Antilles chain as Statia. Though small, the island reveals a surprisingly rich past to travellers. During the 1700s, Statia's capital, Oranjestad, was a trading hub for slaves, sugar, cotton and commodities from Europe and the Far East.

At its peak, the island's population reached 18,000, and Oranjestad was perhaps the richest port in all the region. However, in 1776 the government brought the wrath of England upon the tiny nation after recognising the newly independent United States by firing an 11-gun salute to a passing warship. The decline began, and today the sleepy island has under 3,000 inhabitants.

More than 100 sunken trading ships off the shores of Statia make this a diving mecca; submerged anchors, cannons and pottery shards create a silent testimony to the island's story. However there are things to do above the water too: visitors can take a half-day hike to the 2,000 foot Quill, a classically shaped volcano with a forest-filled crater. Orchids, fruit trees and ferns thrive in this unique environment.

Visit Fort Oranje, which was built by the French in 1629, will appeal to history buffs; the Dutch Reformed Church, has a tall tower that offers a bird's-eye view of town, and the St. Eustatius Historical Foundation Museum is filled with relics from both the pre-Columbian period, and the colonial period. These items are especially interesting since Statia changed hands between the French, Dutch and English a whopping 22 times. You'll find, among countless other items, colonial furniture, nautical instruments and blue glass trading beads made by the Dutch West Indian Company.

Accommodations are in the form of small inns and guesthouses. Dining is also a low-key affair, with seafood, Creole and Dutch dishes available at several informal restaurants.

AIRPORTS/GATEWAYS/FLYING TIMES:
Airport: Franklin Delano Roosevelt Airport (EUX). Gateways/Flying Time: 17 minutes from St. Maarten.

AIRPORT/GATEWAYS:
Canadian & US Gateways: TBA

Other Gateways: There are no direct flights from the UK, however Air France fly via Paris, and KLM via Amsterdam to St Maarten, where there are connecting flights with Winair. The airport is Franklin Delano Roosevelt Airport (EUX).

CLIMATE:
Average temperature. Summer high/low 82/60 degrees F. Winter high/low 78/60 degrees F. Annual rainfall is approximatey 40 inches.

SIGHTSEEING:
Botanical gardens: The Miriam C. Schmidt Botanical gardens (Compare area). Fort de Windt. The Government’s Guesthouse. Lynch Plantation Museum. Statia Historical Foundation Museum. 17th Century Fort Oranje. Site of the 1st salute to the US Flag. Ruins of the Old Dutch Reform Church. Ruins of the Honen Dalim (2nd oldest in the Western Hemisphere). Remains of warehouses once stored with arms for American colonists during their War of Independence. Oranje Beach. Zeelandia Beach. Lynch Beach. The Quill – hikes: St. Eustatius Marine Park.

****** WEDDING REQUIREMENTS IN ST. EUSTATIUS ******

The application and documents required are as follows Groom & Bride:
• Birth certificates with the parent's name.
• If divorced or widowed, the Government Guest House needs to receive the divorce decree or document of proof.
• Proof of single status.
• Foreign nationalities should be 21 years and older to contract a marriage without consent from their parents. While persons of the Dutch nationality should be 18 years and older.

These documents should not be older then 6 months and could be written in Dutch, Spanish and English. For all documents it is necessary to have an apostille (an apostille is an official document, delivered through the State Secretary, which confirms the authenticity and validity of e.g. the birth certificates / form of legalization) or to be verified and certified. This however depends on the country of origin.

Copy of passport required

Witnesses:
When the wedding ceremony will take place inside the courthouse 2 witnesses are required. When the wedding ceremony takes place outside the courthouse (e.g. church, location) 6 witnesses are required.
If desired 2 local witnesses can be arranged.

Time:
The required documents for the wedding need to be received one week in advance at the courthouse of St. Eustatius.
After the documents have been registered, you can marry within the next two days.

Prices:
The fees for Betroth ANG 120 US$ 67
Contracting a marriage on the Courthouse during working hours ANG 60 US$ 34
Contracting a marriage on location and courthouse after working hours ANG 150 US$ 56
Marriage book ANG 25 US$ 14

In St. Eustatius one can get married at every location on every day of the week. If the desire is to get married in a church, the documents need to be registered by the registrar prior to the wedding. From here the employees of the Government Guest House will help you with the further procedure. There is no need to apply for temporary residency for the wedding on the island; the registrar will arange the immigration procedure for the bride & groom. In St. Eustatius the marriage can only be performed when all required documents are found to be correct.

During the wedding the bride and groom may select a dress code of their choice. Please note that one cannot get married in St. Eustatius without proper attire i.e. shirts and pants must be worn at all times. The people of St. Eustatius will ensure your romantic and special day will be remembered forever!

For further information about the wedding planning, dinner, decoration etc, please contact your hotel or Alida Francis Productions (alida.francis@gmail.com).

All original documents (including requesting permission to be married) need to be send to the Government's Guest House of St. Eustatius:
Government's Guest House
Oranjestad
St. Eustatius
Netherlands Antilles
www.statiagovernment.com

Please Note: Wedding requirements above are for information purposes only and may be out of date as of this print. Only use this information on this page as a guideline, and for more current and up to date information, please contact the countries Consular Affairs, Embassy, or the countries Tourism Bureau.