Get to know St Helena

Get to know

ST HELENA

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In 2017 St Helena, a tiny British outpost in the South Atlantic, received its first ever flight into a shiny newly built airport. The flight from Johannesburg was a great leap forward for the island’s traditionally isolated population of 4,000 ‘Saints’, as they are known. Yet it has scarcely altered the charming fabric of this remote society: which is quintessentially old-fashioned British with a palimpsest of rich histories featuring Napoleon Bonaparte and set in biologically rich surrounding ocean.

Bijou capital

Established in the 1650s, Jamestown is one of the world’s smallest capitals. Quaint and unhurried, the settlement is squeezed into a steep-sided volcanic fissure. It makes for a pleasant day of exploration. Cannons still fringe its ramparts, the castle gardens are fragrant with perfumed jacarandas, you can try local spicy fishcakes, and enjoy a pint in a British pub. But save some energy for the 399-step climb up Jacob’s Ladder for faraway views across the ocean.

JAMESTOWN AND JAMES BAY

NAPOLEON’S TOMB

Kevstan, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Napoleon’s sojourn As a serial European conqueror, it’s hardly surprising Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte found the island a little lacking. After his defeat at Waterloo, he was exiled here by the British in 1815 and stayed until his death six years later. The island’s slow pace of change has ensured the three places associated with his exile remain in aspic, you can almost smell his eau de cologne. History buffs will never forget his tomb site, Briars Pavilion, and his main residency, Longwood House.

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AND ANOTHER THING... Drink the local coffee

LOVED BY NAPOLEON St Helena’s green tipped bourbon coffee is said to remain unhybridised since the Portuguese brought its seeds to the island in 1733. It was one of the few things Napoleon liked about the island.

MOST EXPENSIVE COFFEE ON EARTH The coffee’s historic association, purity, and small yields render it one of the world’s priciest coffees. A 250g single origin bag of St Helenian coffee beans fetches £150 in Harrods.

VISIT A PLANTATION It’s cheaper savouring this light to mild roast on the island and well worth requesting a visit to one of the plantation estates to learn about its production. The best-known coffee plantation is Rosemary Gate Estate.

Snorkel with giants

It wasn’t jumping into the South Atlantic that took my breath away off the coast but the proximity to the ocean’s gentlest giant – a whale shark. This wide-mouthed creature is the world’s largest fish, some 30ft long, and typically congregates off the St. Helenian coast between November and March. Accredited tour boats will take you out to snorkel alongside them and it’s truly a life-changing experience.

PAPANUI SHIPWRECK

All Trails lead to Paradise

Volcanic valleys, cloud forest, and heartshaped waterfalls form part of a treasure trove of hikes exploring St. Helena’s striking natural beauty and fascinating history. With well-marked trails catering to all abilities, I particularly loved the surreal walk through a black lava landscape to Lot’s Wife’s Ponds and experiencing St Helena’s endemic biodiversity with a local guide in the cloud forests of Diana’s Peak.

Despite being a British Overseas Territory, the three key sites marking Napoleon’s captivity are legally owned by France, thus the island has a French consul in residence

Meet Jonathan

Meeting St Helena’s oldest resident, Jonathan, is a must. He’s 190 years old. No, the Saints haven’t discovered an elixir to eternal youth because Jonathan is in fact a giant tortoise. He arrived on St. Helena in 1882 and has resided on the governor’s lawn ever since. He’s outlasted 30 British governors and you can visit him at Plantation House, an attractive Georgian mansion.

JONATHAN