Diana’s Peak National Park St Helena

Diana’s peak National Park St Helena

There’s a little confusion over which of 4 peaks is actually Diana’s Peak (the highest point on St Helena) but who cares about such finicky details when the views are so spectacular?! If you time your ascent you can see the plane landing or take off from the airport, as well as the whole island spread out around you. It showed why St Helena was described as an emerald wrapped in granite! You’ll need a car to get to the start of the walk and it is quite a steep walk up so bring water and you’ll need a reasonable level of fitness. There are quite a lot of steps – which is quite a marvel of infrastructure a-and you can walk fairly easily between the 4 peaks. Look out too for endemic cabbage trees and other local wildlife and flora.So beautiful to walk on the grassy path surrounded by fern, trees, and flowers! Amazing!
We left our car on Cabbage Tree Road and walked from there. There are lots of stairs to climb. Diana’s Peak is between two others and there is a post box.

Be patient! Even if it is cold – bring a coat – and cloudy when you get to the top, wait a bit! It might clear up!

Size of Diana’s peak National Park

Diana’s Peak is the highest point, at 818 meters (2,684 ft), on the island of Saint Helena, a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is of volcanic origin.

The mountain and its surroundings with a total area of 81 ha were proclaimed a national park in March 1996, the first on the island.

Things to do in Diana’s peak National Park

Hiking to see the peak

Hiking is the most common activity in Diana’s national park as many travelers are drowned to see the 818 peaks with extraordinary views of the island and this must be on your list while traveling to Saint Helena.

Photography

Taking a camera long hiking is one of the most exciting must carry equipment while hiking as you can’t fail to take a picture of the ridiculous view from the peak of the surrounding areas.

Viewing smaller reptiles

The park is rich in small reptiles like insects, snails, and chameleons are also observed so it can be a nice thing to do while in Saint Helena however there are limited expert guides for the identification of species.

Birding

Birding in the lower slopes is great and travelers with their binoculars should look out for some beautiful birds.

When to visit Diana’s peak National Park

The main tourist season on St Helena is from November to March when it is summer in the southern hemisphere and the days are predominantly sunny and hot.

You can expect some rainfall, especially out of Jamestown in March, but rarely does it last long at this time of year. Between April and October, there are fewer tourists, but it is noticeably cooler than in the summer months and generally wetter too.

Where to stay in Diana’s Peak National Park

St Helena offers a range of accommodation option types, from Hotels and Guesthouses to bed & breakfast and self-catering accommodation. Booking of accommodation is required in advance before making your journey to St Helena.

Some of the top places to look out for include Jayes’s guest house, Harris guest house, and Farm lodge.