Georgetown

Georgetown is Ascension's main settlement, a small grid of buildings on black lava beside the sea, with St Mary's church of 1846, the old barracks and stores of the naval period, a pierhead where landings were made by jumping onto the steps between swells, and a museum in the old exiles' club. Nobody has right of abode on Ascension: everyone there works for one of the organisations that operate on the island.

What you actually see

• St Mary's church - the 1846 building at the centre of the settlement.
• The naval buildings - the barracks and stores from the garrison period.
• The pierhead - the landing where arrivals jumped ashore between swells.
• The museum - the collection in the old exiles' club.

When to go

Year round; Ascension is hot and dry at sea level in all seasons. Turtles come ashore between December and May. Flights are limited and irregular.

Honest expectations

Reaching Ascension is genuinely difficult, with limited flights and permits required. There is no right of abode and visits must be sponsored or arranged. Facilities are those of a working base, not a resort.

Nearby

Long Beach is beside it, and Green Mountain is east.