ST HELENA ISLAND
The Flight Option 1: St Helena Island Remote, rugged, and wildly rewarding.
If your dream winter escape involves warm ocean swims, dramatic volcanic landscapes and the feeling that you’ ve discovered somewhere most people haven’ t, St Helena delivers all three. Sitting deep in the South Atlantic Ocean, this British overseas territory feels wonderfully detached from the rest of the world, and that’ s exactly the appeal.
Airlink operates weekly flights from Johannesburg to St Helena via Walvis Bay, turning what was once one of the world’ s most isolated islands into a surprisingly accessible adventure. The journey itself feels part of the experience. You arrive somewhere that still feels undiscovered.
St Helena isn’ t about giant resorts or packed beach clubs. It’ s about nature, quiet, and raw beauty. The island’ s coastline is dramatic and volcanic, while Jamestown, the tiny capital, feels frozen in time with colourful Georgian buildings and steep staircases climbing the cliffs.
And then there’ s the water. Winter temperatures between June and August remain pleasantly mild, with ocean temperatures often sitting around 22 ° C. For South Africans escaping icy mornings, it’ s warm enough for swimming, snorkelling and boat excursions without hesitation.
One of the island’ s biggest draws is marine life. Whale sharks visit St Helena’ s waters seasonally, and dolphin sightings are common year-round. The snorkelling is exceptional, with volcanic reefs, crystal-clear visibility and an ocean that feels untouched.
The pace here is slow in the best possible way. One moment you’ re hiking through misty green peaks, the next you’ re eating freshly caught fish overlooking the Atlantic with absolutely nowhere else to be.
St Helena does not compete with the Indian Ocean islands. It offers something different: solitude, storybook scenery and the rare thrill of travelling somewhere that still feels genuinely off-grid.
38 | WINTER 2026 • rovesa. co. za