There are remote destinations, and then there is St Helena. Poised almost exactly midway between southern Africa and South America, this small sub-tropical island spent centuries accessible only by sea – a deliberate secret kept by geography itself. The opening of its first airport in 2017 changed everything, just enough.
Today, weekly flights from Johannesburg – and seasonal services from Cape Town – make St Helena the ideal twin-centre companion to a South Africa itinerary. Arrive for the wildlife and wine country, then continue to an island that feels like stepping off the map entirely.
St Helena is perhaps best known as Napoleon Bonaparte's final place of exile, or as home to Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise and the world's oldest known living land animal at 194 years old. But the island's appeal extends far beyond its famous residents. Surrounded by a pristine Category VI Marine Protected Area, its waters offer swimming with whale sharks, world-class diving, free diving, and open-water endurance swims. On land, dramatic volcanic topography shapes superb hiking trails – including 25 Green Flag accredited Post Box Walks – alongside trail running, mountain biking, and 4x4 exploration.
Marine life
Danny Copeland
Historic Jamestown, a plantation house, liberated slave heritage, East India Company fortifications – the island's layered past gives every walk the texture of a living museum. Culture runs just as deep: local coffee, a distillery, traditional ocean fishing, home hosting, arts and crafts. Only 4,000 people call this place home, and it shows in the warmth of every encounter.
And the future? In 2027, St Helena makes sporting history, hosting its first adventure week and the world's most remote marathon — a bucket-list event before the concept even existed.
This is not a destination that shouts for attention. It earns it — through raw landscape, genuine hospitality, and the rare, uncrowded freedom of a place that still takes some effort to reach. That effort, increasingly, is the point.
Weekly flights from Johannesburg. Seasonal flights from Cape Town, for more information visit sthelenatourism.com
