Ascension Island

Ascension Island is one of Earth's most remote and inaccessible destinations—a volcanic speck in the South Atlantic Ocean, 1,600 km from Africa and 2,250 km from Brazil. This 88 km² British Overseas Territory exists in magnificent isolation, accessible only by military flights requiring advance government permission.

The island's unique appeal lies in its otherworldly volcanic landscapes, pioneering ecological history, and extraordinary wildlife. Green Mountain, transformed from barren lava into a cloud forest through Victorian-era terraforming, represents one of humanity's earliest successful environmental interventions. Green sea turtles nest on pristine beaches, frigate birds soar above the world's largest colony, and endemic species found nowhere else cling to existence on this remote outpost.

The island's name commemorates its discovery on Ascension Day, 1501, by Portuguese navigator João da Nova. For centuries it remained unclaimed and uninhabited. Britain garrisoned it in 1815 — partly to deny Napoleon any escape route from St Helena, 1,300 km to the southeast — and the Royal Navy formally classified the island as HMS Ascension, a "stone frigate." Today it is a constituent part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. Its inhabitants are typically called "Ascension Islanders," though most are temporary contract workers rather than indigenous residents — Ascension uniquely has no permanent population and no right of abode.

Ascension emerged from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge less than one million years ago—making it geologically young. Over 40 volcanic cones dot the landscape, creating an otherworldly terrain that genuinely resembles Mars. The highest point is Green Mountain at 859 meters—once completely barren, now transformed into a unique cloud forest ecosystem through Victorian-era terraforming that began in the 1840s.

Much of the island remains raw volcanic terrain: black and red cinder fields, lava flows, and scattered volcanic bombs. The contrast between the lush green summit and the desert-like lowlands creates one of Earth's most dramatic ecological transitions within such a small area.

Discovered in 1503 by Portuguese navigator Afonso de Albuquerque on Ascension Day, the island remained uninhabited for over three centuries—too barren and waterless for permanent settlement. The island's strategic importance emerged in 1815 when the British Royal Navy garrisoned it to guard against any rescue attempt of Napoleon Bonaparte during his exile on nearby Saint Helena.

In 1899, Ascension became a crucial telegraph relay station on the cable connecting Britain to South Africa. The United States built Wideawake Airfield during World War II, which became critical during the 1982 Falklands War—serving as the staging base for the longest bombing raids in history at that time (12,700 km round trip). Today, the island hosts RAF, US Space Force, and ESA tracking facilities.

Green Mountain National Park: A cloud forest ecosystem created through 1840s terraforming—bamboo groves, ginger plants, and mist-shrouded paths where you can walk from volcanic desert to tropical forest in hours.

Long Beach: The primary nesting beach for green sea turtles (January-May). Witnessing 200+ kg turtles haul themselves ashore to lay eggs is one of Earth's great wildlife spectacles.

Boatswain Bird Island: A small offshore islet hosting the world's largest colony of Ascension frigatebirds—an endemic species found nowhere else on Earth.

Letterbox Walks: A unique tradition of hikes across volcanic terrain to hidden message boxes where visitors leave notes.

Devil's Riding School: A dramatic volcanic crater with steep cinder walls that creates an otherworldly amphitheater.

This remote South Atlantic island's cuisine is simple but flavorful, featuring local fish and the famous land crabs.

Steamed Land Crabs

Island Delicacy

Fresh land crabs steamed with garlic and local herbs.

Ingredients: 4 land crabs, cleaned, 4 cloves garlic, minced, 30ml butter, 1 lemon, Fresh thyme, Salt, pepper, Bay leaves.

Preparation: Purg crabs in saltwater for 24 hours. Then place crabs in steamer with bay leaves. Steam 15-20 min until red. Melt butter with garlic and thyme. Then serve crabs with garlic butter. To finish, squeeze lemon over.

💡 Crabs must be purged to clean their systems before cooking.

Pilau

Spiced Rice

One-pot spiced rice with fish or chicken—island comfort food.

Ingredients: 240ml rice, 200g fish or chicken, 1 onion, sliced, 1 tomato, diced, 480ml stock, Turmeric, cumin, Peas, carrots.

Preparation: Brown protein, set aside. Sauté onion until golden. Add rice, toast 2 min. Then add spices, vegetables, stock. Return protein, cover. Finally, simmer 20 min until rice done.

💡 Don't lift the lid—let steam do the work.

Grilled Tuna Steaks

Fresh Catch

Simply grilled fresh tuna with lemon and herbs.

Ingredients: 2 tuna steaks, 30ml olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, 1 lemon, Fresh rosemary, Salt, pepper.

Preparation: Marinate tuna in oil, garlic, herbs 30 min. After that, heat grill or pan very hot. Season steaks with salt and pepper. Then grill 2-3 min per side for medium-rare. Rest 2 min. Serve with lemon.

💡 Fresh tuna should be pink in center—don't overcook!

On one of the world’s most remote islands, drinking culture is defined by resourcefulness. The Saints Club and Two Boats Club are the social hubs.

Green Mountain Cooler

Mid-Atlantic Refresher

Inspired by Ascension’s remarkable Green Mountain — a cloud forest created through Victorian-era terraforming.

🥃 Tall glass · 🔨 Build

Ingredients: 45ml white rum · 30ml Midori · 90ml pineapple juice · 15ml lime juice · Soda water

Preparation: Build over ice in a tall glass. Top with soda water. Garnish with lime wheel and mint.

💡 Green Mountain was transformed from barren lava into a cloud forest by Darwin and Hooker’s 1840s terraforming experiment.

Saints Club Shandy

The Island Staple

The everyday drink of Ascension’s small community — beer and lemonade at the Saints Club.

🥃 Pint glass · 🔨 Build

Ingredients: 250ml lager beer · 250ml cloudy lemonade · Lemon wedge

Preparation: Pour beer into pint glass. Top with lemonade. Garnish with lemon wedge.

💡 Beer arrives on the fortnightly supply ship — when it runs out, it runs out.

Wideawake Punch

Volcanic Island Rum Punch

Named after Wideawake Airfield and the sooty tern colony. Dark rum and ginger beer — the serviceman’s classic.

🥃 Rocks glass · 🔨 Build

Ingredients: 60ml dark rum · 15ml lime juice · 10ml honey syrup · Ginger beer · Angostura bitters · Crystallized ginger

Preparation: Build rum, lime, honey, and bitters over ice. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with lime wheel and crystallized ginger.

💡 The airfield was crucial during the Falklands War and remains a mid-Atlantic refuelling stop.

Ascension Island has no vineyards, no breweries, no distilleries — and only about 800 residents, almost all of whom are military personnel, contractors, or BBC relay station staff. This is one of the most isolated inhabited places on Earth: a volcanic rock in the middle of the South Atlantic, 1,000 miles from the nearest continent. Everything is imported by sea or the occasional RAF flight.

The Two Boats Club and the Saints Club (named after the St Helenian workers who are the island's primary civilian population) are Ascension's only social drinking venues. Both are modest military-style clubs serving imported British beers (Carling, Stella Artois), basic spirits, and occasional wine. The Two Boats Club, at the island's only settlement, hosts quiz nights, darts, and the kind of intimate community socialising that only happens when 800 people share a volcano.

Two Boats Club · Beer taps, dartboard, RAF ensign, and Green Mountain through the window — drinking stripped of all pretension on a volcano in the middle of nowhere.

St Helenian rum culture is the closest thing to a local drinking tradition. The Saints — workers from nearby St Helena, 800 miles to the southeast — bring their own traditions: rum punch, strong tea, and the resilient good humour of a community that has been staffing Britain's remote outposts for generations.

RAF South Atlantic Air Bridge is the ONLY option:

• Departure: RAF Brize Norton, UK
• Route: Via Cape Verde to Ascension
• Frequency: Approximately twice monthly
• Cost: £1,200-1,500 one way
• Requirement: Government permission MUST be obtained first

There are no commercial flights, no cruise ships, and no ferries. This is one of the most difficult places on Earth to visit legally.

Obsidian Hotel: The only proper hotel on the island, located in Georgetown. Rates approximately £100-150/night.

Guesthouses: Limited availability—must be booked through the Ascension Island Government. £60-80/night.

Currency: Saint Helena Pound (SHP), pegged 1:1 to GBP. British pounds accepted everywhere. Bring cash—card use is unreliable.

Important: Confirmed accommodation is REQUIRED before entry permission will be granted.

• Elliott's Pass letterbox walk: Dramatic volcanic scenery along one of the island's most challenging hiking routes
• Pan Am Beach: Excellent snorkeling in crystal-clear waters
• The Dew Pond: Victorian water capture engineering on Green Mountain
• Cricket Valley: An actual cricket pitch built on volcanic ash
• Wideawake Fairs: Seasonal sooty tern breeding assemblies

🌡️ Climate

Ascension has a hot, dry tropical maritime climate. Temperatures hover between 22–31 °C year-round, with low humidity by tropical standards thanks to the steady southeast trade winds. Rainfall is sparse and erratic at sea level (about 130 mm/year at Georgetown) but Green Mountain, rising to 859 m, captures cloud moisture and supports a surprising cloud forest. There is no real "season" — but Sept–April is hottest, May–August slightly cooler.

🛂 Visa & Entry

Ascension is not a tourist destination in the ordinary sense. All visitors must obtain an Entry Permit in advance from the Ascension Island Government and provide proof of onward travel, accommodation, and medical/repatriation insurance. Most arrivals come via the RMS St Helena replacement supply vessel or via the (very limited) RAF airbridge from Brize Norton, UK. There is currently no scheduled commercial passenger air service.

💰 Cost of Living

Almost everything is imported by ship, so prices are high. Expect £4–£6 for a pint, £15–£25 for a basic meal, and £80–£150/night for the limited self-catering accommodation. Bring cash (£ sterling and the local Saint Helena pound, which is at par); card acceptance is patchy.

🎉 Festivals & Events

Community life centres on a small calendar of events: the annual Green Mountain Fun Day, the Ascension Island Marathon (one of the smallest and most remote marathons in the world), the Two Boats Sports Day, and the famous green turtle nesting season (Dec–May) when hundreds of females return to lay eggs on Long Beach.

🏛️ UNESCO World Heritage

Ascension Island has no UNESCO World Heritage sites of its own. However, the surrounding waters were designated as the Ascension Island Marine Protected Area in 2019 — at 445,000 km² it is one of the largest fully protected marine reserves on Earth, and a candidate for future heritage recognition.

🧳 Packing Tips

Lightweight, sun-protective clothing; sturdy hiking shoes for the volcanic terrain; reef-safe sunscreen; a windbreaker for Green Mountain; binoculars for seabirds and turtles; and a head torch — light pollution is non-existent and the night sky is extraordinary.

👤 Notable People

Charles Darwin visited briefly aboard HMS Beagle in 1836 and helped popularise the idea of "terraforming" Green Mountain — Joseph Hooker and Kew Gardens later carried it out by deliberately planting hundreds of foreign plant species to create a working cloud forest, one of the earliest large-scale ecological engineering projects in history.

⚽ Sports

Football is the dominant sport, with a small inter-departmental league. The Ascension Island Marathon, fishing tournaments, and open-water swimming events round out the calendar.

📰 Media & Press Freedom

The island has one local newspaper, The Islander, and the BBC World Service operates a major Atlantic Relay Station here. As a UK Overseas Territory, press freedom standards mirror those of the United Kingdom.

Ascension Island is the kind of place where the concept of "drinking culture" reduces to its purest form: a few people, a remote location, and a bottle. The Two Boats Club on a Friday night — darts, warm beer, 800 miles of ocean in every direction — is drinking stripped of all pretension. There's something almost noble about it. No wine list. No cocktail menu. Just human beings sharing a drink on a volcano in the middle of nowhere. Sometimes that's all you need.

— Radim Kaufmann, 2026

Access remains carefully managed. Green sea turtle protection programs continue successfully with increasing nesting numbers. The Ascension frigatebird population is stabilizing following successful cat eradication. A marine protected area has been established around the island. Ascension continues to serve as a critical atmospheric monitoring station for climate research.