A mysterious island in the Atlantic wants to develop its tourism. This is where Napoleon died

Saint Helena is a small, volcanic island belonging to the British Overseas Territories. It is 1,900 kilometers away from the southern coast of Africa – more than twice as far from Brazil. Next to the Tristan da Cunha archipelago, it is one of the most remote places on Earth. Despite this, the island is an inhabited land, with just over 5,000 people permanently residing there. Although until recently Saint Helena was virtually isolated from international regular transport, the situation has changed. After a successful 2023, the government hopes to develop the tourism industry here in the future.

Tourism on Saint Helena Island

A small piece of land located between two large continents, somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. It is 17 kilometers long and about 10 km wide. The rocky island of Saint Helena would be an ideal place for isolation – it is not without reason that it was here that Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled in 1815 and died in Longwood six years later, where his house can still be seen today. The international airport for commercial flights was only opened in 2016. Previously, most people wanting to visit the island had to take ships from Cape Town, which took as long as five days to get here. So there were really few tourists.

Television has been available here since the 1990s, and high-speed Internet is a fairly recent invention. All the improvements introduced in recent years are intended to make tourism flourish on the island. In 2023, the arrival of 2,100 people who came here for recreation was recorded. This is a record result and hope that tourism will constitute an important part of the economy in the future.

Unique attractions on the island

Saint Helena is inextricably linked with the history of Napoleon – it is home to, among others, his estate, museum and empty tomb (the emperor's body was taken to Paris). It is also a true island paradise, with beautiful beaches, waterfalls and mountains (the highest peak is 818 m above sea level). The oldest turtle in the world has also lived here since 1882, imported 50 years earlier from the Seychelles. Tourists should be prepared for the lack of ATMs and many other modern amenities. To cross the island, you must pay a permit fee which is currently GBP 20.