7 unforgettable experiences in St Helena—from exhilarating hikes to Napoleon’s former home in exile

Islands don’t get much more remote than St Helena. Adrift in the middle of the South Atlantic — 1,200 miles from Africa, 1,800 miles from South America — this fortress island is about as far away as one can get from the outside world. In fact, at just five miles wide by 10 miles long, it’s a miracle anyone found it in the first place. Portuguese sailors were the first to land here in 1502, but the island has been British since 1659, when the East India Company installed the first governor — a post that still exists today. Alongside the island’s rich history, St Helena’s natural wonders continue to attract intrepid travellers. Ringed by cliffs, crowned by mountains and cloaked by cloud forest, it’s an island made for adventure. Here are seven ways to savour every second.

1. Discover diverse landscapes on the island’s post box walks

St Helena is heaven for hikers, and the island’s 21 post box walks offer an excuse to search out its remotest corners. These boxes are tucked away around the island ­— on barren headlands, secluded beaches and cloud-shrouded peaks ­— and each has a stamp to prove you’ve found it. Ranging from just under one mile to 7.5 miles, the walks are graded out of 10: for hikes hitting the mid-level mark, it’s a good idea to employ a guide to lead the way. Checking off one or two hikes is straightforward enough, but only the hardiest hikers complete all 21.

2. Climb Jacob's Ladder from Jamestown

St Helena’s capital, Jamestown, is surrounded by cliffs, lined with Georgian townhouses and shaded by jacaranda trees. For the best view of this historic city, haul yourself up Jacob’s Ladder, the staircase that climbs almost vertically to Ladder Hill Fort. With 699 steps and 640ft of ascent, it’s a lung-busting, knee-knackering rite of passage. Every year, runners race up the staircase as part of the Ladder Challenge; the current record holder reached the top in an impressive five minutes and 4.19 seconds.

3. Explore Napoleon's place of exile

Following Napoleon’s final defeat at Waterloo, the British decided it was time to be rid of the French emperor once and for all. After a 10-week voyage, Napoleon landed on St Helena on 15 October 1815 and was installed at Longwood House, where he remained in exile until his death in 1821. The house contains fascinating Napoleonic memorabilia, including furniture, maps and letters. Guests can visit his grave, too — although Boney’s remains were repatriated to France in 1840.

4. Sample one of the world’s rarest coffees

Coffee has been grown on St Helena since 1733, when the first trees were imported by East India Company traders. The island specialises in the rare Arabica bean, Green Tipped Bourbon, which has notes of black cherry and dark chocolate. It’s highly sought after —  and fetches eye-watering prices overseas — but visitors can taste it without breaking the bank by joining a roastery tour of Rosemary Gate Estate, or at St Helena Coffee Shop in Jamestown.

5. Discover shipwrecks on a deep-sea dive

Some of St Helena’s most memorable scenery exists below the surface. Shipwrecks stud the coastline, and their sunken remains support a menagerie of submarine life, from butterfly fish and blennies to devil rays and green turtles. St Helena is also one of the few places in the world where it’s possible to spot whale sharks swimming just off the coast; the creatures take a detour past the island as they migrate across the Atlantic.

6. Hitch a ride on a 4x4 tour

Off-road guides such as Aaron’s Adventure Tours explore difficult-to-reach parts of the island. Travellers can find themselves steering up palm-filled jungle valleys, juddering down rocky ravines and crawling along wild coastline populated by cacti and prickly pears. En route, explorers might even spot the island's endemic bird, the Saint Helena plover, known locally as the wirebird due to its long, wiry legs. Keep an eye out for the animal’s distinctive markings — a black band runs across its forecrown and around the eyes, while a white stripe circles the head.

7. Meet the island’s oldest resident

In the grounds of the governor’s official residence, Plantation House, visitors may come across an elderly gentleman grazing on the grass. His name is Jonathan, he’s a Seychelles giant tortoise and he’s thought to have hatched in 1832 — which, at 192 years of age, makes him not just St Helena’s most senior citizen, but also the oldest living land animal on Earth, according to Guinness World Records.