A hiker’s paradise. Find a whole world’s diversity of hikes, climates and scenery, all within a short drive. Explore in peace and tranquillity, with few or no other hikers on the path. Take on all 21 Post Box Walks, and boast your collection of all 21 stamps.
Hiker's paradise
- Insane diversity of landscapes
- 21 Established nature trails to conquer
- Misty, fern-covered peaks
- Pastureland
- Coastal hikes and rock pools
- True tranquillity, with few or no other hikers on the path
- Explore historic landmarks like forts, canons and batteries during the walks
- Plant and animal species that aren’t found anywhere else on Earth
Promenades en boîte aux lettres
Completing all 21 Post Box Walks is a prestigious achievement sought by many visitors to St Helena. These scenic trails, named after the historic post boxes located at their endpoints, offer stunning views, diverse landscapes, and a unique opportunity to explore the island’s natural beauty. Successfully completing all 21 walks is a testament to one’s endurance, determination, and appreciation for the island’s natural wonders. It’s a badge of honor that visitors proudly wear as a symbol of their St Helena adventure.
About the walks
At the end of each walk is a ‘Post Box’ – which might be a piece of plastic tubing or a wooden box, sometimes helpfully marked with the words ‘Post Box’ – containing a visitor’s book to leave your name and comments, and a stamp that you can use as a souvenir The Post Box Walks were designed by the St Helena Nature Conservation Group (SNGC) charity. to promote awareness of the island’s natural environment and its plants and animals.
Walks vary between 1.5km and 12km, taking between 1hr 15mins and 3hrs 30mins.
Things to consider
It is always sensible to let someone know where you are going and when you might be back. As the difficulty and terrain of the walks varies, ensure you understand and are prepared for the walk that you plan to undertake. The information below, as well as the Post Box Walks booklet available from the Tourist Office or the Museum of St Helena, provide information about each walk. Please follow the paths and do not litter.
Walking checklist
- Water and snacks
- Do not litter
- Adequate walking shoes
- A guide, walking companion or group (especially on walks with an effort rating of 5 or higher)
- Cell phone (although there may not be signal)
- Sun protection and/or a rain jacket
- Let someone know where you are going and when you might be back
- Paths can become slippery, muddy and dangerous during and after heavy rains.
- Please follow the path & signs
- Do not litter
Baie de Manati
Vallée des requins
This impressive deep valley is a great walk, however more difficult than most. Starting from Levelwood, it is one of the only valleys with a constant flowing stream on the island, ending at the rocky valley mouth that opens to the sea.
Thompson’s Valley
Cette promenade tire son nom des gros rochers dans les pâturages au sommet de la vallée qui ressembleraient à des pierres tombales. Cette promenade vous emmène des forêts verdoyantes, à travers la plaine d'Ebène et jusqu'à la côte stérile. Il y a une tour de garde, une batterie, un canon et une défense côtière Martello relativement bien conservés.
La grange
This walk is one of the most difficult and should only be attempted by the most experienced walkers. After traversing Deadwood Plain, the route enters an area of impressive geological features ending on top of a huge volcanic bluff with panoramic views across the east end of the island.
Pain de Sucre
Cette promenade peut être effectuée depuis Rupert ou Deadwood Plain, les deux itinéraires offrent une vue spectaculaire et les marcheurs peuvent nager depuis la plage rocheuse de Banks lorsque les conditions sont calmes. La majeure partie de la promenade se fait au-dessus des falaises marines à travers la côte sèche avec des sentiers étroits.
South West Point
A relatively long walk through the rolling pastures, this walk has great views of Manati Bay, Sperry Island and the Black Rocks. You might also see endemic wirebirds. This trail can also be accessed using 4×4 vehicles that can be driven all the way to the top of the point.
Grange de Sandy Bay
This walk takes place on the eroded edge of the Sandy Bay amphitheatre. From here, walkers will see views across Sandy Bay including its iconic Lot and Lot’s Wife rock formations. This is an undulating walk with a short traverse along a steep-sided slope or a short climb to get up on to the Barn itself.
Prosperous Bay
Prosperous Bay est une superbe promenade côtière qui vous emmène le long de la vallée en passant par une série de cascades pittoresques. À la fin de la promenade, vous trouverez une large plage avec des bassins pour pagayer et des vestiges d'anciens bâtiments militaires. Le sentier s'érode activement au sommet de la vallée et peut être partiellement perdu, en particulier après les pluies hivernales.
Vallée de Powell
One of the most difficult of walks, Powell’s Valley takes you from the pastureland’s of Levelwood, past two military batteries with views of the bay below.
Peak Dale
Peak Dale passes through flax, pasture and woodland along the hillside below the Sandy Bay Ridge, offering views across Sandy Bay. It is a great opportunity to see the few remaining wild, endemic gum wood. The walk can be made up of combining two routes with an extra 3.25 km along the road or leaving a car at either end.
Vallée du citron
Starting from the St Paul’s area walkers will trek their way to the coast, Lemon Valley. A popular spot for locals and visitors alike, used for swimming, camping and fishing. The return climb up hill can be quite strenuous on a hot day. It is possible to pre-arrange a boat pick-up to avoid the walk back up.
High Peak
High Peak is a short climb and holds beautiful views once walkers reach the top of Blue Hill and the Sandy Bay amphitheatre. Walkers can also spot endemic plants as they climb the peak.
Haute colline
High Hill est composé de roches phonolitiques qui se sont formées à un stade avancé de l'activité volcanique de Sainte-Hélène. Cette promenade vous emmène à travers les bois jusqu'au sommet de High Hill, où les marcheurs découvriront des vues spectaculaires et les vestiges d'une ancienne station de signalisation.
Beaucoup d'étangs de femme
One of the most popular walks on St Helena, the walk starts from Sandy Bay, past the iconic Lot’s Wife formation and down to the coast here you will find multiple ponds. This walk is accompanied by ropes as the trail takes you along narrow paths.
Lot
Lot lies within the beautiful and iconic Sandy Bay Ridge and follows it down into the bowl of Sandy Bay. From here, you will see views of the Peaks over to Sandy Bay Barn and Lot’s Wife, three other Post Box walks around the island.
Cascade en forme de coeur
Chosen as one of the 7 Wonders of St Helena by islanders, Heart Shaped Waterfall is one of the most iconic Post Box Walks because of the heart shaped geological feature. During winter months, water flows over the waterfall but in hotter months, is normally dry.
Grand dessus en pierre
Cette promenade est un emplacement privilégié pour repérer l'oiseau Red Billed Tropic. Le sentier est situé dans la région de Levelwood et est réputé plus difficile lors de l'ascension du Great Stone Top. Cette promenade vous emmène devant Little Stone Top et au-dessus de Shark's Valley, vous pouvez admirer la vue sur la côte sud-est de Great Stone Top, l'une des plus hautes falaises de l'Atlantique Sud.
Flagstaff
Flagstaff offers great views back onto the island and walks you through the site of the Boer Prisoner War Camp and Deadwood Plain, a well-known home to the St Helena Plover, the endemic Wirebird.
Pic de Diana
Located within Britain's last natural cloud forest, the three peaks offer 360o views of St Helena and her incredible landscape. Walkers will trek over all three peaks: Mount Actaeon, Diana’s Peak and Cuckold’s Point, home to over 60 endemic flora and invertebrates.
Point Blue
A great walk around the ‘Gates of Chaos’, Blue Point walks you through heavy erosion revealing different colours of soil, just beyond Thompson’s Wood. Walkers will enjoy views of South West Point, Sandy Bay, Sperry Island and Castle Rocks on this is a very popular walk. You can enjoy stunning landscape views and the rehabilitation areas for island endemics. Keep your eye on the ocean as you may be able to spot whales when in season.
Cox’s Battery
Starting from the Millennium Forest, Cox’s Battery feature great views of Turk’s Cap, The Barn, King and Queen Rocks and Prosperous Bay Beach. Walkers will pass through fortifications at the entrance to Turk’s Cap Valley and can see St Helena Airport. There are no steep climbs, but walkers will experience sheer drops each side of the wide ridge that leads to the battery.
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