Ascension Island - Facts
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Important pre-arrival information: The Ascension Island Government require all visitors to obtain an E-Visa prior to arrival and take out medical insurance. See Formalities for all the details.
- A mountainous peak rising from the floor of the South Atlantic Ocean, Ascension is a dormant volcanic island like Tristan da Cunha and the Azores on the mid-Atlantic volcanic ridge. It is one of the largest marine protected areas in the world..
- The island lies roughly halfway between the horn of South America and Africa.
- Ascension Island is part of a British Overseas Territory, (nowadays called St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha) under the sovereignty of the British Crown.
- The 34 sq miles (88 sq km) island is a communications center for the BBC, the RAF, the US Air Force and the European Space Agency and hosts one of four ground antennas that assist in the operation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigational system. NASA also operates a Meter Class Autonomous Telescope (MCAT) on Ascension Island for tracking orbital debris.
- Although a traditional port of call for ships on the Cape of Good Hope route, the few yachts that sail on this route only occasionally stop at Ascension. Because of their isolation, the people who work on the island (the island’s only inhabitants) are friendly and hospitable. There is no indigenous or permanent population.
- The RMS St Helena visits Ascension approximately once every three weeks on her voyage from Cape Town and St Helena.
- Local currency is the St Helena Pound (£) which is on parity with the Pound Sterling (£). There are no ATMs on the island. It is recommended to either register and load the Tourist Card App before departing for Ascension to deal with payments on the island, or arrive with Sterling. See Money for more details.
- Marine services and supplies are very limited. See Yachting Essentials for full details.
- It is planned that Ascension Island will become the Atlantic’s largest marine reserve.
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We just visited Ascension – five yachts – and for all of us it was an absolute highlight of the Atlantic. It’s an incredible island and not to be missed. The walks on Green Mountain are easy and nothing less than spectacular- Elliot’s and Dew Pond are absolute must do’s. Also Mars Bay, sooty tern bird colony, and Comfortless Cove (take your dinghy over) and the unusual cemetery behind Comfortless Cove – not to be missed.
You can hire cars – arrange with Kitty at the Harbour Master’s office ahead of time. (I don’t have her email on me but get it from Immigration at St Helena if you can’t find it) You MUST now apply ahead of time for a visa – it’s online and not difficult! The websites give confusing info on this but you do need to apply ahead.
The anchorage can be a bit rolly but we had no problem at all. It’s an awesome anchorage in the turtle season – they will be all around your boat along with the fish. Provisioning is also quite good here – plenty of cheese, bread, frozen goods – short on fresh food but have frozen berries etc. Anyway its better than St Helena in our opinion.
Finally – the people are awesome. Welcoming and beyond friendly. And it’s always pleasant to be in a place where there’s no such thing as theft or locking up required etc. Cannot recommend Ascension enough!!!
We anchored of Ascension to in Sept 2017. The hotel had closed, there were no cars for hire, the transport was limited to a bus at weekends on a fixed route, the one saving grace was the supermarket (operated by a Falklands company) it was great! We were also trapped onboard due to very large swells making the landing unsafe. Eventually realised our anchor had fouled and due to the diving ban no one was allowed to help us. The whole island is really a large semi military – communications centre in a geographically strategic location. The people were were very nice but nothing goes on here!!! Best bypass enroute to Brazil or the Caribbean
After a short 7 day sail up from St Helena, we arrived at Ascension. We had pre-applied for permits to visit as this is basically a joint military base for the British and American forces and part of the British Overseas Territories.
Once we arrived and set our anchors, we had to wait 4 days for the swell to calm down before we could get to land. The pier landing is small and fairly dangerous when there is a swell and currents – never mind the Galapagos sharks that always seen to lurk around the landing.
Link to attacks http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/27/second-shark-attack-three-months-ascension-island
The volcanic landscape is a sight to see as well as the area up at the higher altitudes of Green Mountain. We hired a car from the Obsidian Hotel (but see notes below) to do a day’s sightseeing and lunch at the Two Boats club.
Friends of ours also sailed to Ascension in September 2017 and they said that they would probably be the last tourists that are allowed to come to the island as it was “closing down” …. No more cars or accommodation & meals at the hotel etc. Will have wait for a more complete update on the situation and hopefully their official website information is also updated.
For information on visiting Ascension Island please contact the Ascension Island Tourist Information Office on tourism@ascension.gov.ac they will be able to provide information on entry permits, light dues, services and facilities, car hire, tours and much much more.
Further information also available on the website http://www.ascension-island.gov.ac and the facebook page http://www.facebook.com/Ascension-island-tourism