Luganville Espiritu Santo Island, Vanuatu
Vanuatu
56
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
Carnival Cruise Line (9 Cruises)
Holland America Line (3 Cruises)
MSC Cruises (13 Cruises)
MSC Magnifica
13 Cruises
Ponant (2 Cruises)
Princess Cruises (10 Cruises)
Coral Princess
10 Cruises
Regent Seven Seas Cruises (8 Cruises)
Royal Caribbean Cruises (7 Cruises)
Frequently Asked Questions
At the main wharf, right on the edge of Vanuatu's second town, on the island of Espiritu Santo. The main street is about ten minutes' walk away: no shuttle is needed for the centre.
Century-old Chinese stores, French-style bakeries inherited from the condominium, and the market near Unity Park, where the mamas sell taro, pineapple and flower garlands under the mango trees. A cenotaph there recalls the hundreds of thousands of American soldiers who passed through the island between 1942 and 1945.
The site where, in 1945, the US Army pushed trucks, cranes and bottles by the thousand into the sea for want of buyers for its war surplus. A short drive east, this equipment lying 10 to 20 metres from the shore now forms a steel reef colonised by coral and fish.
Yes, the site works from the beach, but with care: metal breaks the surface in places and the tide affects visibility. Reef shoes are strongly advised, and it is better to stay above the structures than to try threading through them.
A luxury liner turned troopship, sunk by mines in 1942 off Luganville and considered one of the world's great wreck dives. It is for certified divers only: this is not a snorkelling site.
Freshwater springs of unreal transparency, ringed by jungle and vines, where you swim in cool water with sapphire reflections. Riri and Matevulu are among the most visited, reached by road or, for the latter, by outrigger canoe up the river.
Two options fit the time: Million Dollar Point plus the town centre on foot, or a trip to a blue hole combined with the market. Champagne Beach, further north along the coast road, needs more driving and fills the whole day on its own.
The vatu, Vanuatu's currency. Bislama, English and French are spoken, a legacy of the Anglo-French condominium. A few businesses take cards, but bring cash for the market and taxis.
Yes, with reservations. The centre and market are easy to visit, and the blue holes are a great hit with children. Million Dollar Point, on the other hand, calls for vigilance: submerged metal cuts, and the seabed is not managed.
May to October, Vanuatu's dry season: less rain, better underwater visibility and outside the cyclone period. From November to April, rain clouds the blue holes and tropical depressions disrupt itineraries.
