St. Helena, a tiny tropical island in the South Atlantic, intrigues with a simpler way of life due to its remoteness that harks back to yesteryear. Here you can discover its endemic species while exploring volcanic landscapes, swim with marine megafauna in warm waters, encounter the charm of a community untouched by the haste of the modern world and retrace Napoleon Bonaparte’s final days in exile.
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For a very small island, St. Helena unveils a world in and of itself. It’s hard to imagine that a volcanic island that measures a mere 115km2 can show off so much. This tiny subtropical speck floats in the South Atlantic Ocean almost midway between southern Africa and South America – 1 900km and 2 900km from each shoreline respectively.
It’s only fitting that one of the most remote (and truly untouched) islands would be a haven to 502 endemic species (plants, animals, birds and marine life) found nowhere else on Earth. In fact, it’s home to more than a third of all endemic biodiversity found across the United Kingdom and its Overseas Territories. Charles Darwin explored the island over six days in July 1836 during his around-the-world voyage on the HMS Beagle.
Darwin admired the “fine scenery” with its “deep valleys and naked pinnacles” as he eyed its geology, delving into its origin story, which later informed his work Geological Observations on Volcanic Islands. The superlatives he used to describe the island – “remarkable”, “quite extraordinary”, “extremely rare”, and “I never saw equalled anywhere else” are as true today as they were when Darwin first set foot on these shores.
Much like me, he was awe-inspired by the mist pirouetting around the luscious cloud forest atop Diana’s Peak (820 masl) before descending volcanic slopes shrouded in small plantations of bourbon Arabica coffee, and dotted with the white flowers of the St. Helena Ebony – believed to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 1980 – before melting into lime-green pasturelands aflush with grazing cows and sheep.
Jurassic Park-like forests morph into rocky, multi-coloured mounds overlooked by igneous intrusions that have stood for millions of years. These dissolve into black sand beaches and volcanic shelves, creating aquarium-like rock pools that naturally fill with tropical fish with the tides.
Scuba diving and snorkelling in St. Helena Island
Since being discovered by the Portuguese in 1502, St. Helena became one of the world’s most significant stopovers for vessels making their way to India from Europe. Today, it’s famed for a world-class Marine Protected Area (MPA) that makes the island one of the best places in the world to experience incredible marine encounters while supporting sustainable tourism. The tropical waters of the South Atlantic Ocean average 22-23°C (and reach up to 26°C) with an average visibility of around 25 metres. This makes for spectacular snorkelling and scuba diving spots between shipwrecks, through caves, caverns and among reefs, all year round. It’s like finding yourself the protagonist in David Attenborough’s Blue Planet.
In 2016, the tiny island designated its entire 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as a Marine Protected Area (MPA) to protect its marine ecosystems and sustainably manage its natural resources. This globally significant marine sanctuary – the size of France measuring some 448 411 km2 – protects 800 marine species, 18 of which are found nowhere else on Earth. It is testament to the British Overseas Territory’s commitment to ocean conservation, making it one of the best places in the world to see marine megafauna, such as Pantropical, Bottlenose, and Rough-toothed dolphins; green turtles; Chilean Devil Rays; Humpback whales (between June-December); and whale sharks (between December-March).
Known locally as the ‘bone shark’ – for the ridges that run along its colossal, spotted body – whale sharks have become the island’s most valuable marine tourism asset, especially as they visit between January and March. Whale sharks congregate in equal ratios of adult males and females in the island’s plankton-rich waters, which has not been seen anywhere else in the world, implying they gather to find a mate en-route to their breeding grounds. Craig Yon, PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer and co-owner of Dive Saint Helena, explains how they see up to 30 during a snorkelling excursion in season (scuba diving with them is prohibited to ensure responsible interactions).
From James Bay, in Jamestown (the island’s even smaller capital), I swam to snorkel the Papanui shipwreck (6-12 metres beneath the water’s surface), where I saw thousands of endemic St Helena butterflyfish. It’s one of eight shipwrecks suitable for underwater exploration off the shores of the island. Meanwhile, a morning marine safari almost guarantees an encounter with an 800-strong pod of pantropical spotted dolphins, year-round, or perhaps rough-toothed and bottlenose dolphins.
The MPA’s size requires a collaborative, community-driven management approach with everyday ‘Saints’ (as the locals are called) – fishermen, skippers, marine guides, and diving instructors – playing their part in its protection. Out the water, the Yacht Club on the Wharf serves up deep-fried Yellowfin, Bigeye, and Skipjack tuna, Wahoo and Moray eels on Wednesday evenings, in line with the island’s sustainable one-by-one fishing practices that minimises bycatch.
I indulge in the catch of the day with some gin from the world’s most remote distillery as I reflect on how St. Helena is a portal into the past, where locals wave to each other as they drive by, ATMs are nowhere to be found, and high-speed internet only made landfall in late 2023. Here, time moves at its own pace – a reminder of a bygone era, where connecting with nature and community are paramount above all else – as it should be.
What to do in St. Helena
Here are some of the other exciting things you can explore in St Helena during a week-long itinerary.
Visit Napoleon Bonaparte’s house: Longwood House was Napoleon Bonaparte’s final place of exile until his death in 1821. After exploring the rooms where he lived and wrote his memoirs, wander through his garden and savour a three-course lunch at this historic residence. Visit the location of The Tomb, where he was buried before being exhumed and returned to France in 1840.
Nature trails and hikes meander through misty forests, across rolling pastures, down coastal cliffs and along secluded beaches allowing adventurers to experience the island’s biodiversity, geological features and historic sites. If you look at a map of the island, descriptive names, such as Fairyland, Blue Hills, Rosemary Plain, The Dungeon, Heart-shaped waterfall, and The Needle, evoke the character of the landscapes they describe. Many of these can be explored along the 21 walking trails (between 1.5-12km in length) that criss-cross the island, either independently or with hiking guide Tom Wortley of Rockmount Walking Tours. Hikers can sign the visitors’ book and collect stamps at each postbox.
Meet the world’s oldest animal: After a guided tour of Plantation House, which was built in 1792 and remains the governor’s residence, meet 192-year-old Jonathan, the world’s oldest land animal, who is possibly the island’s most beloved resident.
Savour Wranghams Coffee: Indulge in a cuppa after a tour of the small plantation with co-owner Neil Fantom, where you’ll learn about the history of the green-tipped, single-origin bourbon Arabica beans that were introduced to the island in the 1700s from Yemen.
Discover the past: Delve into the island’s history at the Museum of St. Helena, from its volcanic origins and location as a strategic outpost to its role in the abolishment of the transatlantic slave trade.
Climb Jacob’s Ladder: Tackle 699 steps for panoramic views overlooking Jamestown.
South African Boer War History on St Helena Island: During the Second Boer War, the British used St. Helena as a prisoner-of-war camp for 6 000 Boers, including General Cronjé and his wife. Despite the circumstances, the Boers were treated with respect; many found work on farms and on building projects or sold their handmade wares. One hundred and eighty of them died in 1902 from enteric fever and were buried at Knollcombes Baptist Church on the island, others left that same year following the peace treaty, a few married local women and remained. The Boer Prisoner of War Cemetery on Deadwood Plain and the Museum of St. Helena are testament to this time.
Planning a trip to St. Helena
Flights from South Africa to St. Helena
Until late 2017, St. Helena was only accessible by a five-day boat trip from Cape Town. Airlink is the only airline that flies to the remote island. It offers weekly flights (Saturday) from O.R. Tambo International Airport. Between December and March (in time for peak season) the airline operates a Saturday flight from Cape Town International Airport and a Tuesday flight from Johannesburg, with promotional airfares. Flights take around 5.5 – 6.5 hours, with an early afternoon arrival time. Airlink also operates a monthly inter-island service with Ascension Island, allowing travellers to explore another unique destination in the South Atlantic Ocean.
Visa Requirements for St. Helena
South Africans receive a 90-day visa on arrival at a cost of £20 cash.
Travel Insurance for St. Helena
Due to its remoteness and the fact that flights are weather dependent, it’s essential to have comprehensive travel insurance.
Banking and budget when travelling St. Helena
St. Helena is largely cash-based (the Great British Pound and the St. Helena Pound) with no ATMs on the island and limited opening times at the bank. Cards (VISA and Mastercard) are seldom accepted. The Tourist Card from Bank of St Helena allows visitors to easily pay using a Virtual Pre-paid GBP Cash Card accessed through the Tourist Card App. Unused funds are transferred back to your card upon departure.
Learn more about travelling to St Helena: The St Helena Tourism Board will answer any of the questions you may have about the subtropical island.
