Travel in Ascension Island – Hotels, Ascension Island Vacations, Lodging, Trips, Attractions and Travel Guide

A Vacation On Ascension Island

Vintage photograph of the top pf Green Mountain, Ascension Island. c.1883

In 1501, the island itself was discovered by the Portuguese explorer Joao da Nova Castelia. However, it was not until two years later in 1507, on Ascension Day, when the island was rediscovered by Alphonse D' Albuquerque that the island was finally named. Ascension Island is located in the middle of the Atlantic Sea and it is linked to a series of volcanic islands and home to a series of 44 in total.

Ascension Island is a very unique setting and could provide some spectacular diving opportunities. For the tourist who wanted to practice or go diving however, it is best to prepare this event far in advance. The first step would be to join the “Ascension Island Diving Club”, to be able to secure weights, cylinders and air tanks. The ocean surrounding the island stays relatively warm year-round and provides divers with some of the most beautiful underwater scenery in the area.

There is no indigenous population on Ascension Island, the residents are comprised of people who maintain businesses or provide manpower, these people and their families are the only population on the island. The main population is either British or American, with the remaining portion coming from Saint Helena. The people of the island live a relatively unspoiled and simple life, and there is no poverty or unemployment.

Perhaps the funniest fact about the island that seems to draw in the tourists is that in 2008, the Guinness Book of World Records name the Ascension Island golf course the “worst” in the world. Yet, every year people are drawn to this location for that very reason. The island offers better accommodations at “One Boat”, the other golf course with a more nontraditional landscape than many other golf courses.

Fishing is another popular pastime that locals and tourists participate in. There are marlin, dorado, mahi mahi, tuna and wahoo to be caught in the oceans surrounding the island. Ascension Island is a top location for sports fishing, but is still relatively unexplored so it is a bit less touristy than other more prominent locales.

The largest mountain on the island is “Green Mountain”, which is one of the places where the flora accidentally developed even considering the less than ideal landscape. The mountain has hiking trails where guests can explore and see banana trees, bamboo, ginger and eucalyptus gowning, and flowers like bougainvillea and hibiscus and many more exotics like cypress, acacia and aloes.

Years ago, the island was infected with feral cats that destroyed the environment and eliminated the bird life. After the campaign ran by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the island was cleaned up and the cats were eliminated and the birds have returned once again. There are tours that will take tourists around the islands to view the various species of birds and other animals like the protected green turtle, lizards and crabs.

There are a few places for travel accommodations on the island, so it is extremely important to make reservations for flight and lodging as far in advance as possible. There is the Georgetown Guest House, which is located at the heart of Ascension Island and offers visitors quaint, charming, cozy rooms, one-on-one guest service and the chance to dine at one of the four pub-restaurants on the island. There are also three guest bungalows available for rent at Hayes House. From the ocean to the friendly island atmosphere, Ascension Island is like visiting home and makes a person feel like they never want to leave.