Newly improved connectivity provides tourists a taste of Napoleon’s exile

Discover the remote beauty of St. Helena, with rich history, unique wildlife, and breathtaking landscapes awaiting adventurous travelers.

St. Helena, a small, craggy island in the South Atlantic Ocean, hasn’t seen many tourists in the past for good reason: It’s one of the most remote inhabited places in the world.

Until 2017, it took five nights by boat to reach the British overseas territory, which is nearly halfway between southern Africa and Brazil. Today, with weekly commercial flights and the recent arrival of high-speed Internet, the government is hoping to breathe new life into a fledgling tourism industry that welcomed about 2,100 leisure travelers in 2023.

The island has just a little more than 4,000 residents, or Saints as they call themselves, and is likely to attract a certain kind of visitor.

“It’s people with a real desire to travel and learn rather than, ‘let’s go somewhere to have a bit of sunshine and some nice food,’” says Emma Phillips, whose husband, Nigel, is St. Helena’s Governor.

After all, weather can be unpredictable and supplies occasionally run low when you’re 1,200 miles from the nearest continent.

“You’ve got to be prepared to embrace all of that,” Ms. Phillips says, while extolling the island’s welcoming locals, rich history and natural wonders. “Come with an open mind.”

Perhaps best known as the site of Napoleon Bonaparte’s exile from 1815 until his death in 1821, St. Helena features multiple heritage sites honouring the deposed French emperor. Visitors can tour his homes and his original burial grounds. His remains were returned to France in 1840.