St Helena’s Day is celebrated on 21 May each year, recognising the 1502 discovery of this small slice of paradise. The community comes together each year to throw a street party in the capital, Jamestown, filled with music, food, stalls and a parade of floats and people dancing through the streets.
St Helena is a breath of fresh air in the modern world, boasting clean air, a sparkling ocean environment, a small, safe community (population 4 439) and a refreshing lack of cultural reliance on modern technology. It’s an off-the-beaten-track, bucket-list destination, comfortingly familiar yet heartwarmingly different.
On a recent trip, featured in Getaway May 2024, we went scuba diving in the clear, warm waters of the South Atlantic with endemic marine life, discovered the melting-pot Saint (St Helenian) culture influenced by Europe, Africa and Asia, and completed two of the 21 Post Box Walks, hiking various terrains and habitats. We sampled thrilling adventures, rewarding encounters and culinary marvels.
St Helena is one of Earth’s most remote islands, nearly halfway between South America and Southern Africa. Photograph: Des Jacobs
St Helena is home to a Guinness World Record holder, Jonathan the Tortoise. This 192-year-old is the oldest living land animal in the world and the oldest chelonian ever. Photograph: Mathias Falcone
St Helena has been accessible by air since 2017. A weekly flight with Johannesburg is offered year-round. A second weekly flight runs from Cape Town during the island’s summer months. Mathias Falcone
St Helenian’s are renowned for being friendly and welcoming. The community is a melting pot of peoples and cultures that have passed through the island since its 1502 discovery. Photograph: Courtesy Image
Take part in the celebrations by sharing your own experiences of St Helena using #sthelenasday2024 and tag @st.helena.tourism
