Guide to St. Helena

Saint Helena Island (pron. huh-LEE-nuh) is in the eastern part of the South Atlantic Ocean and is one of the world's most isolated islands. If you start crossing the Atlantic due west from the border between Namibia and Angola, Saint Helena Island will appear about one-third of the way across to Brazil.

Because of this extreme isolation, Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled here from October 1815 until his death on 5 May 1821.

It is the most populous of the United Kingdom's territories in the South Atlantic with a population of 4,255 at the last census in 2006.

Main Street of Jamestown is described as one of the best examples of unspoilt Georgian architecture anywhere in the world and the whole island has been proposed to the UK government as a mixed World Heritage site.

It is a curious little world within itself

Charles Darwin, Voyage of the Beagle, concerning Saint Helena

Uninhabited when it was discovered by the Portuguese in 1502, Saint Helena was garrisoned by the British during the 17th century to be used as a refreshment station for ships on the Cape Route. It acquired fame as the place of Napoleon Bonaparte's exile, from 1815 until his death in 1821, but its importance as a port of call declined after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. Saint Helena has three smaller dependencies: Ascension Island is the site of a US Air Force auxiliary airfield; Tristan da Cunha is home to a very small community reliant on fishing for income; Gough Island has a meteorological station.

Saint Helena's most famous resident was Napoleon Bonaparte, who was exiled there by the British. Apparently Elba was not far enough away. He died there, and you can visit his beautiful grave site in a flower-laden glade, but his remains were disinterred and are now at Les Invalides in Paris. He had two residences on the island. He stayed at The Briars for about two months, and lived the rest of his life in a house in Longwood. You can visit both residences by appointment.

The grandest house on the island, however, is that of the governor. It looks like it was lifted straight out of 18th-century England. There are marvellous land tortoises on the grounds, including one purported to be the oldest known living terrestrial animal in the world.

The flora and fauna of the island are marvellous. Though many endemic species have become extinct, there are some left to be seen. Cabbage trees, gum trees and the local ebony can all be seen. The ebony was thought to be extinct until a local botanist found a specimen hanging off a cliff. It is being propagated and planted around the island. The islanders have also begun to restore the native forests of the island. The Millennium Forest has been planted by many volunteers and consists largely of local gum trees. Native, old growth forests can be found on the highest peaks of the island. High Peak and Diana's Peak have beautiful natural areas.

Two animals are of note. The giant earwig was the largest in the world: 2-3 inches (5-8 cm) long. The species was made extinct by researchers who collected them all. The second species is a happier story: although endangered, with only about 300 remaining, the Saint Helena wirebird is a plover-like bird with long beak and legs. It is a land bird, and can be found in open areas. The playing fields behind the high school are a particularly good place to look without having to take a longer hike. The wirebird is Saint Helena's national bird.

Orientation

Jamestown is the capital and main town of Saint Helena. It is located in a narrow valley between steep 500-ft (150-m) cliffs which mean that it is quite a struggle to climb out of this V-shaped slot onto the surrounding plateau by any of the three access paths. All visitors to Saint Helena arrive at "The Wharf" in Jamestown. There is pretty much only a single road about one mile (1.6 km) long.

The Tourist Office is in a quaint building with a beautiful bow window at the top of Main Street where it branches into Napoleon and Market Streets. Staff there can help you book tours and give you all kinds of advice about what to see and do on the island.

Official island tourism information can be obtained from St Helena Tourism. The tourist office's telephone is +290 2158.

By plane

By boat

Moorings for yachts are available at James Bay. Contact the Harbourmaster (VHF channel 14, during working hours) to obtain access to the visitors' moorings; call St Helena Radio (VHF channel 16) to confirm your arrival and seek customs/immigration clearance.

By bus

St Helena has a very limited public bus service. The routes and timetables are designed primarily to satisfy the needs of locals. Buses are rare, usually going once or twice only on some weekdays. Visitors can, with some planning, use the bus service to reach some of the island's attractions and walking opportunities. Check timetables carefully and allow sufficient time to catch the return bus otherwise you may face a long walk back to Jamestown. Stops are well marked, but a nice wave will also get the driver to stop.

Taxis are also available in Jamestown (the rank is behind the tourist information office).

By car

Rental cars (£10-12 a day) are probably the more practical method of travel, but be sure to reserve one in advance. There are not too many, and when the flight arrives with its 50 tourists or more, the travel industry can be overwhelmed, and don't expect your rental car to be a recent vehicle (Ford Escorts are common). Ask your hotel to arrange car hire for you.

Saint Helena cars are driven on the left, as in the United Kingdom. Likewise, the traffic signs in Saint Helena resemble those of the United Kingdom.

By foot

Walking is wonderful, but mostly in the highlands in the centre of the island. The 21 Post Box Walks, a series of graded trails are a good way to explore much of the island. The walks and routes with maps are available in a book written by the island's Nature Conservation Group, available at the Tourist Office. The cliffs all around the perimeter make it impossible to walk along the coast at most points, access to the sea is normally by descent of the numerous steep valleys that cut through the volcanic landscape. Though small, however, don't be deceived, distances can be great for a walker. Bring water and sunscreen, but the Saints on the way will be happy to provide a refill if your water bottle runs dry.

It is very hard to walk out of Jamestown. The city is in a deep canyon coming from the highlands down to the shore, and there are three roads out, one up either edge of the canyon and the third, Barnes Road, an old track that leads to Francis Plain, perched on a plateau 500 m above Jamestown. The other way to get to the highlands is via the vertiginous Jacob's Ladder, an extremely tall 699-step staircase, built as an inclined plane to bring goods in and out of town. Walking on the roads out of town would mean sharing narrow switchbacks with cars, lots of dust, and no pavements. If you walk, even once you climb Jacob's Ladder, you still aren't halfway to the green spaces at the top, and have to walk through the beautifully named, but not so beautiful to look at, Half-Tree Hollow. A rental car or the bus are much better options.

The official language of Saint Helena is English. However it is often spoken with a strong accent and using ordinary English words in unusual ways. This dialect is locally known as "Saint". Examples include "What your name is?" and "Us need one new tyre" (us = 'we' and 'one' is used where 'a' or 'an' might be expected).

Though the island culture is a melange of people from all over the world, immigration essentially ended long ago, and the Malay, Indian, African and other immigrants to the island have not maintained their original languages or cultures. Intermarriage has been the standard on the island for so long that there are no racial differences to be made, let alone linguistic ones.

Jamestown

Longwood

Central Island

• The Central Peaks include Diana's Peak (the highest point on the island), Mount Actaeon and Cuckold's Point, which are home to the greatest concentration of endemic species. The Peaks are part of the humid cloud forest at the centre of the island, and are a must-see for those interested in native flora and fauna. Conservation efforts are under way to make sure that these species can survive the many changes that have taken place on the island over the years.
• High Knoll Fort built in 1874, sits above Half Tree Hollow, at 564 metres (1,916 feet) above sea level it was meant as a second line of defence and refuge for the local population, in the unlikely event that the gun batteries at Ladder Hill and Mundens failed to prevent invasion of the island. The fort housed several large guns, cannonades and numerous rifle ports covering Jamestown and the surrounding countryside. The fort has been used as a venue for several events including Halloween Celebrations.
• Clifford Arboretum is a small, largely underdeveloped arboretum that is home to some of the island's native fauna and has medium-term germ storage facilities. There are self-guided hikes through it.
• Saint Paul's Cathedral is the seat of the Anglican bishop of Saint Helena. It was built in 1856.

Southern Island

• Sandy Bay is at the bottom of one of the deep ravines that cuts from the island's interior to the coast and is the only sandy beach on the island. Despite the rather dark grey sand and that it is too dangerous to swim in the sea, it is a favourite destination for family barbecues, with children enjoying playing in the waves. It's also a good place to begin hikes.
• Lot's Wife's Ponds are probably the best swimming spot on the island. They are large natural tide-pools, and though it can be a bit difficult to get there, it is well worth it. The walk starts from Sandy Bay and is described in the Post Box walk book.

• Stargaze The darkness of the St Helena night sky qualifies for ‘Gold Tier’ status, the highest rating by the International Dark Sky Association, the air is also crystal clear of course and it's also not chilly; even at night, the temperature rarely falls below 10° Celsius.
• If arriving in on a cruise ship for a day visit, make sure you get out of Jamestown to at least have a quick look around the rest of the island. Jamestown is a lovely small Georgian town where you can while away a couple of hours, but it doesn't give you an insight into what the rest of Saint Helena is really like.

Money

Saint Helena uses the Saint Helena pound (₤) as its currency, which is fixed to the British pound at a value of 1:1. British currency can be used interchangeably on the island. Some shops may also accept US dollars, rands and euros.

There is only a local bank, Bank of St. Helena, with one branch in Jamestown that opens weekdays and Saturday mornings. It however has no ATM, so be sure to plan ahead. The bank can use your ATM or credit/debit card to give you money. Cash can be changed at the airport also, but St Helena money is rarely available in banks outside the St Helena-Ascension-Tristan area so changing in advance should be to British pounds.

Only a limited number of shops accept international credit cards; if you want to remain cashless, the local bank offers a so-called tourist card, which you can top up using your international credit or debit card. The bank mobile app must be downloaded to use the tourist card. The remaining funds can also be deposited back to the same card used for top up.

Shopping

There are several shops in central Jamestown selling gifts and souvenirs, including locally hand-made items, and there are also interesting things to buy at Longwood House and the island museum.

The St Helena Distillery makes a range of local spirits that can be purchased in several of the shops in town. Of particular note are Tungi, a high-proof liquor made from local cactus, and Midnight Mist, a liqueur made from the highly regarded Saint Helena coffee.

Saint Helena grows a variety of coffee which it exports as one of the most expensive in the world. Coffee plantations were set up by the Portuguese centuries ago, and today there are four. Because of its age and isolation, the Bourbon or Typica Arabica plants cultivated here are genetically pure. A 250g bag that sells for £180 in Harrods in London can be found on the island for much cheaper.

Locally-produced items include woodwork, fine lace, jewellery and items woven from flax, which grows all around the island. A wide range can be purchased at the Arts & Craft Centre in The Canister building, next door to the Tourist Office.

Cooking for yourself is a great way to go. Visitors renting a room or a house on the island will find it easy to get what they need and fun to get along themselves. Tourists comment that it is surprising that on such a fertile island, there is no dairy or garden market. The availability of vegetables and salad is improving, but is still very seasonal. Fruit is generally only available in the days immediately following the freight ship visits (apart from bananas, which are available more frequently as they are grown on the island). Don't worry though, you will be able to find a wide assortment of food in various small grocery stores in town and a nice butcher shop. The main local fish on sale is tuna (a wonderful, deep red tuna) and wahoo. "Pilau" (pronounced "ploe") is a speciality of the island. It is "peasant food" in the best sense. A combination of rice, bacon and other ingredients, it is delicious and greasy.

All these are in Jamestown:

• Consulate Hotel - see detailed listing in "Sleep" section below
• Donny's Place - a nice open air bar with views over James Bay. You can buy some of the local Tungi there.
• The Mule Yard - another open air bar on the seafront, next to the swimming pool.
• The Standard
• White Horse Pub

Out of Jamestown:

• Pub Paradise (Longwood)
• Colin's Bar with great views down into Sandy Bay
• Silver Hill Bar

• Self-catering is a great option. On the island's tourism website you can download a list of people who have rooms or small houses to rent. This is a good way to meet the locals that you rent from and see a little bit of what it is like to live on the island.

It is illegal to do paid work on St Helena unless you have a work permit or are employed by the UK or Saint Helena Government.

Wages are low, around a fifth of that paid for the equivalent work in the UK.

A large number of Saints work off the island on the sea, in the Falklands, on Ascension, South Africa or elsewhere. This is mainly to get a higher income.

This island must be one of the safest places on earth. Crime is practically non-existent, although there is a prison with a few inmates. You can feel comfortable walking at night anywhere on the island. There are no animals of concern, with the exception of scorpions. The only safety issue might be falls for those who want to do some climbing. Law, order and security on the island is provided by the St Helena Police Service.

Summer heat provides the only common safety issue. Take a bottle of water if climbing Jacob's Ladder or doing a walking tour. Plan in advance as 24-hour shops do not exist and little is open on a Sunday.

Traffic is limited to 20 mph (32 km/h) in the entire Jamestown area, so road accidents are also rare and rarely cause injuries.

Rockfalls can occur, due to the steep sided valley in which Jamestown sits. A catch-fencing scheme has been implemented but is not expected to stop all rockfalls. No practicable avoidance measures are possible.

For Emergencies call 999 for the Police.

While there is no particular health threat on the island (no special vaccinations are required), you don't want to get seriously ill. There is a hospital with trained staff available, however there are no facilities to deal with very serious health issues. Any complicated medical issue must be dealt with off island, and that is a bare minimum of three days away if the boat to Ascension and the plane is just right. More likely you will have to wait several weeks for the boat to Cape Town.

Visitors are required to carry medical insurance that will cover the full cost of their evacuation back to their home country.

Tap water is safe to drink.

Most Saints have strong loyalty to the UK monarch and to the Christian faith, and respect for both of these is strongly requested from visitors. However there are no laws requiring observance of either, by visitors or others.

The mobile phone carrier that covers the island is Sure South Atlantic Ltd. They operate a 2G/EDGE and 4G network but it is more at 3G speeds. Telecommunications are particularly expensive, and don't expect to be able to use the Internet for extended periods of time.

There are Wi-Fi hotspots in the Consulate Hotel and in Ann's Place for £6/hour. Stamps can be purchased opposite the Consulate Hotel in Jamestown. The post office is famous among philatelists the world over and sells stamps from Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan.

The only nearby islands are Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha. Beyond that you have thousands of miles of Atlantic Ocean in every direction.