Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Travel Guide & Community
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha is a travel destination in Western Africa. Its capital is Jamestown. November and December are its two best months to visit, ranked on 1991–2020 climate averages.
Top places to visit in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Napoleon's Longwood House (landmark) — The house where Napoleon Bonaparte spent his final six years of exile (1815–21) — furnished as he left it, with his bedroom, billiard room, and the infamous damp wallpaper; managed by the French state and the island's most-visited historic site.
Jacob's Ladder (Jamestown) (landmark) — Iconic 699-step staircase climbing the escarpment above Jamestown — originally a flax-rope funicular track, now Saint Helena's most distinctive landmark; the panorama from the top over the Atlantic and colourful capital below is extraordinary.
Jamestown (Capital) (city) — Britain's second-oldest colonial church and a perfectly preserved 18th-century Atlantic port town — colourful Georgian buildings, Napoleon museums, Castle of Good Hope fortress, and the world's last operational "Consulate Hotel".
Jonathan the Tortoise (landmark) — The world's oldest known living land animal — a Seychelles giant tortoise born c.1832, confirmed at 190+ years and still resident in the grounds of Plantation House, the Governor's official residence; visitors can see and photograph him daily.
Diana's Peak National Park (natural) — Cloud-forest summit at 823 m — the last stands of Saint Helena's endemic gumwood, cabbage trees, and tree ferns; unique invertebrate fauna including over 40 endemic wirebird and beetle species found nowhere else on earth.
Sandy Bay (Saint Helena) (natural) — Remote volcanic beach on the island's rugged southern coast — jet-black sand derived from basalt, dramatic sea-cliff backdrop, and the surrounding basalt columns form one of the South Atlantic's most starkly beautiful coastal landscapes.
Queen Mary's Peak (Tristan da Cunha) (natural) — The remote summit of the world's most isolated inhabited island — a 2,062 m volcanic cone rising from the South Atlantic, reachable by guided climb through tree-fern thickets; the view from the crater rim spans thousands of km of open ocean.
Ascension Island (Wide Awake Airfield & Green Mountain) (natural) — The dramatically contrasted volcanic island — Green Mountain's 859 m peak is a mist-forest island of unusual endemism above the barren lava plains; Wide Awake beach hosts the South Atlantic's largest green turtle nesting colony.
Napoleon's Tomb (The Briars) (landmark) — Original burial site of Napoleon in the peaceful Sane Valley — now a garden memorial with the restored Le Briars pavilion where he first arrived; the tree-shaded valley is one of Saint Helena's most atmospheric and tranquil spots.
Wirebird Reserve (Plover) (natural) — Conservation programme for the endemic Saint Helena plover (wirebird) — the critically endangered species has recovered from 11 to over 400 individuals; the open pasture of Longwood Plain is the best area to spot these fast-running endemic birds.