Destination Guide

St Helena Island

One of the world's most remote islands — a 17-square-mile speck in the South Atlantic where Napoleon was exiled, Jonathan the 190-year-old tortoise still lives, and the airport opened in 2017.

Best months
Year-round
Climate now
Mild oceanic · subtropical
Currency
SHP / GBP
Languages
EN
Visa (SA)
Permit on arrival
Flight time
6h via Jo'burg
Time zone
GMT

Why visit St Helena Island

Why almost no one has been here — and why that’s reason enough.

Napoleon’s final exile

Longwood House, the Briars, his original tomb at Sane Valley. The British exiled him here in 1815 — and he died here in 1821. The whole island is a Napoleon museum.

Jonathan the tortoise

Hatched around 1832. Lives at Plantation House. The world’s oldest known living land animal. Visited daily by his keepers and curious humans.

Diana’s Peak

At 818m the island’s highest point — through endemic tree-fern forest, panoramic views of an island shaped like a green slab of mountain.

Whale-shark swimming

Dec–Mar, the world’s largest fish gather off St Helena. Permitted swims with the wonders are tightly controlled and unforgettable.

Jamestown’s vertical valley

The capital is squeezed into a steep ravine that drops to the sea. Climb Jacob’s Ladder (699 steps) for the view.

Almost no tourists

The airport opened in 2017. Visitor numbers are still tiny. You’ll have most of it to yourself.

Available tours in St Helena Island

One scheduled departure a year for whale shark season.

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When to go

Mild year-round — but two months are special.

Jan
whale sharks!
Feb
whale sharks!
Mar
warm · misty
Apr
mild
May
mild
Jun
cool
Jul
prime · dry
Aug
prime · dry
Sep
clearing
Oct
warming
Nov
warm
Dec
whale sharks!
Prime — ideal for all activities
Good — shoulder season, fewer crowds
Do not recommend — weather or seasonal limits
Prime · Dec – Mar (whale sharks) · Jul – Aug (dry)

Whale shark swims need calm, warm water — Dec–Mar. Dry-season trekking and clear skies — Jul–Aug. Our scheduled tour runs in January for the whale sharks.

Good · All other months

Genuinely mild year-round. Mountain trekking, fishing, fort visits and Napoleon sites are great in any month.

Do not recommend · None

St Helena is a four-season destination — no truly bad time to visit.

What St Helena Island is known for

The signature experiences this country is famous for.

N
Napoleon sites

Longwood, the Briars, the original tomb — his exile in three locations.

J
Jonathan the tortoise

Born ~1832. World’s oldest known land animal. Lives at Plantation House.

D
Diana’s Peak

818m summit. Endemic tree-fern forest. Panoramic island views.

L
Jacob’s Ladder

699-step staircase up Jamestown’s valley wall. View at the top is worth it.

W
Whale sharks

Dec–Mar — the world’s largest fish gather offshore. Swims allowed under permit.

C
Coffee plantation

Bean-to-cup tour at one of the world’s most isolated coffee farms.

F
Sandy Bay

Black volcanic beach on the south coast. Dramatic, often empty.

H
High Knoll Fort

19th-century fortifications with the best view of Jamestown below.

How to travel St Helena Island

One signature way — and one extraordinary scheduled tour.

Small-Group Tour

St Helena Discovery

Our 8-day tour in January (timed for whale sharks). Based in Jamestown. Includes all major sites, the Blue Point hike, coastal boat trip, Jonathan visit.

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Bespoke

Custom St Helena

Photographic trips, deep-sea fishing focus, longer stays for those who really want to escape — all bespoke.

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Did you know?

A few things about St Helena Island most visitors don’t expect.

01
The airport project took 18 years.

Construction started in 2011. Wind shear made landings dangerous; commercial flights only began in 2017. Before that, the only way in was a 5-day boat ride from Cape Town.

02
Jonathan is older than the telephone.

He was already 44 years old when Alexander Graham Bell patented the phone in 1876. He has seen four world wars and 39 British monarchs.

03
Napoleon died here on May 5, 1821.

After 5 years and 8 months of exile. Cause: stomach cancer (officially) or arsenic poisoning (the conspiracy theory). His body was eventually returned to Paris in 1840.

Photo gallery

St Helena Island through our travellers’ lenses.

Imagining your own St Helena Island?

Twenty travellers a year. You could be one of them.

Our January departure is the easiest way in. For other months — custom photographic trips, fishing expeditions, longer stays — we design it bespoke.

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