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Welcome to St Helena, the emerald Isle in the South Atlantic and take delight in the tranquillity and beautiful vistas of an island that offers a peaceful, friendly and relaxing atmosphere.
You can relax and take a guided tour of the island via the 1920’s charabanc or enjoy a relaxing walk in our beautiful countryside,
either guided or at your own leisure, or visit our longest living resident, Jonathan the tortoise who is rumoured to be 215 years old. Our most famous resident was French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte; who was exiled to the island in 1815. His
residential homes, the Briars Pavilion and Napoleons House at Longwood can be visited as well as his tomb at Sanes Valley.
For the more energetic individual you can choose to climb Jacobs Ladders 699 steps, hike around parts of the islands
coastline or climb the Peaks where a wide variety of endemic flora and picturesque scenery of the island can be seen. The islands other popular recreation activities are fishing, diving and dolphin watching.
St Helena's Geography
St Helena is situated in the South Atlantic Ocean at longitude 5° 45' west and latitude 16° 00' south. St Helena has two dependencies, Ascension Island, 703 miles to the
northwest and Tristan da Cunha, 1500 miles to the southwest. It is wholly volcanic in origin and rocky and mountainous almost everywhere along its coastal range. In contrast with the barren coastal areas the interior contains an abundant growth of
lush semi-tropical vegetation of grasslands, pastures and forests.
At lower contours the terrain becomes drier and almost barren except for those valleys that carry small streams of water from the central ridges to the sea. Despite the island’s
position within the tropics, its climate is kept mild and equable by the southeast trade winds. Contrasts in climate are noticeable between the capital, Jamestown, which is on the north leeward side, and Longwood, which is at a higher elevation to the
east. Temperatures vary from 21 to 31°C in the summer and from 16 to 27° C in the winter. The temperatures in the central areas are, on average, 5 to 6°C lower.
It is one of the worlds most isolated islands situated some 1600 km off the west coast
of Africa in the South Atlantic Ocean. Currently the only access is by sea primarily by the Royal Mail Ship, St Helena. After its discovery by the Portuguese in 1502, St Helena became a haven for sea travelers because of its plentiful supply of water,
lush vegetation and equable climate. Today over 500 years on, we continue to welcome visitors who delight in discovering this beautiful and unique destination.
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About Us > Introduction St Helena, Emerald isle of the south atlantic ocean
