VU
Espiritu Santo
Blue holes, white beaches and the world's best wreck dive
Blue holes, white beaches and the world's best wreck dive
Often rated among the most beautiful beaches on earth, this perfect crescent of squeaky white sand and clear turquoise water is fringed by palms and utterly idyllic.
💡 Avoid cruise-ship days for the beach to yourself; a small village fee applies.
Santo’s spring-fed blue holes, like Nanda and Riri, are pools of astonishing electric-blue clarity in the jungle, perfect for swimming, rope-swinging and paddling.
💡 Nanda (Jackies) is the most vivid; go midday for the best colour.
This vast WWII troopship, sunk in 1942, lies just offshore and is one of the world’s most accessible large wreck dives, explorable from shore for certified divers.
💡 Dive with a Luganville operator; it is deep and best for experienced divers.
Santo’s biggest adventure combines a jungle trek, a river swim through a huge cave and canyoning past waterfalls, a full-day guided thrill through the island’s interior.
💡 It is a strenuous full day; go with the community-run tour.
Vanuatu’s second town is a relaxed one-street base with markets, WWII relics and a working harbour, handy for arranging tours, dives and supplies.
💡 Stock up here before heading to the beaches and blue holes.
Santo’s famous grass-fed beef is a highlight, alongside fresh seafood, coconut crab and tropical produce at Luganville’s cafes, market and beach kiosks. The blue holes and Champagne Beach have simple food stalls, but options thin out fast, so bring supplies for day trips. Try a Santo steak, fresh reef fish and drinking coconuts, washed down with Tusker beer or local coffee.
Base in Luganville, then head north to Champagne Beach and a jungle blue hole for a day of white sand and electric-blue swimming.
Dive the SS President Coolidge wreck, or take on the full-day Millennium Cave jungle and river adventure.
Kayak the Riri blue hole to the sea and relax on the beaches before flying out.
The wreck is deep and vast; only dive it with a reputable Luganville operator and suitable certification.
The best beaches and blue holes are up rough roads north; a 4×4 or tour is often needed.
Villages charge beach and blue-hole fees in cash; bring plenty of vatu.
May to October is best; the wet season brings heat, rain and cyclone risk.
Harbour-town Port Vila, the volcano of Tanna, the blue holes of Espiritu Santo, land-diving Pentecost and the lava lakes of Ambrym — Vanuatu end to end.