Espiritu Santo- The Best Island in Vanuatu

As you can probably guess, Espiritu Santo was my favourite island to visit during my recent trip to Vanuatu. The food, the friendly locals and all the beautiful, natural places to explore make this island unforgettable! My guideline below is my tried and tested 3-day itinerary for exploring Espiritu Santo- the best island in Vanuatu.

Getting around Espiritu Santo

There are a few options for getting around the island such as car hire, bus or taxi.

My recommendation: Taxi.
The average going rate for hiring a taxi to drive you around for the full day is 8,000Vt (Vanuatu Vatu). However, I was able to negotiate down to 6,000Vt as I gave the driver guaranteed work for 2 whole days. Hiring a taxi is the best option as your money will help contribute towards the driver and his family and local community. Taxi drivers have all the local knowledge of the island and are extremely friendly and helpful people. We got along really well with our driver and he was happily answering all our questions as he drove us around to each destination. We were also told that they are trained by the Tourism board to ensure the safety & security for the tourists. (Not that it’s really needed as Vanuatu is a very safe place to visit).

From research and asking around some of the locals, I was quoted that car hire in Santo can range anywhere from 10,000-12,000 Vt per day.
Taking a bus is the cheapest option (around 150 Vt per person, one way), however you can run into problems if there is no available bus going in the direction you want to go. Santo is a smaller, quieter island so you may get stuck at some places that are not busy if you don’t have your own transport.

Pro Tip: Trust the locals. They know what they’re talking about! Listen to their advice not only on where to go but also when to go as they know when a popular spot will be busy/quiet, high/low tide etc.

Tips for Travelling Vanuatu

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Accommodation in Vanuatu

As stated previously I visited 3 of the most popular islands of Vanuatu. These are the places I stayed:

Espiritu Santo: Beach Barrier Resort – my all time favourite place during my entire stay in Vanuatu was at this resort!
Port Vila: Warwick Le Lagon Resort & Spa
Tanna: White Grass Ocean Resort & Spa

The best places to visit in Espiritu Santo

If planned right, you can explore all the best places in Espiritu Santo, maximising your experience, time and even money. This is my suggested itinerary which works perfectly if you are staying at the Barrier Beach Resort (or close by):

Day 1:

Start exploring the beautiful island of Santo and make your way north. I suggest visiting the below 3 in order to maximize your time in the day.

• Champagne Beach
• Port Orly
• Nanda Blue Hole

Champagne Beach:

Around 50 mins north from the Barrier Beach Resort is Champagne Beach. Stop at this popular destination for a swim in the beautiful blue-green water and some sun baking against the soft, white sand.
Entry fee- 2,000 Vt per car.

Pro Tip: Avoid coming here, if possible, on cruise ship days as it will be overrun with passengers and local hawkers. Prices for snacks and drinks will go up as well.

Port Orly:

A 10 minute drive from Champagne Beach, this is a great spot for lunch and some possible turtle spotting. When you arrive, order from the Chez Louis Restaurant straight away as they can take a while to prepare your food, especially if you’re ordering any of the seafood items. We had a whole lobster each with a side of chips and veggies and it was cooked just right and very yummy. Totally worth it!
Entry is free!

Nanda Blue Hole:

On the way back to our resort we stopped for a refreshing dip in Nanda Blue Hole. It was a hot day when we visited yet the water was so cold! It was very clean and unbelievably clear- you could see down to the bottom even though it was pretty deep! The blue holes on Santo are owned by the local community so your entry fee will contribute towards helping the local people.
Entry fee- 1,000 Vt per person.

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Not sure what to pack? See my Packing List for more tips!

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Day 2:

Everything on the list for today is located nice and close to the resort which allows less driving time and more fun time!

• Million Dollar Point
• Luganville
• Matevulu Blue Hole
• Riri Blue Hole

Million Dollar Point:

This interesting and unique beach was a dump site from the end of WWII where the U.S military decided to abandon all military equipment into the ocean. You will find anything from weaponry to huge army tanks scattered over the ocean floor. I would suggest visiting first thing in the morning as the sea is much calmer making it a lot easier for snorkeling. There is less people too. We unfortunately made the error of making this our last stop and if I could do it again I would definitely make it our first.
Entry fee– 500 Vt pp.

Pro Tip: Pack reef shoes. Not only is there sharp and slippery coral but I also found a lot of broken glass on the sand around the shoreline.

Luganville:

Even though it is the second largest city in Vanuatu, there isn’t a whole lot to do in the main town unless there is a cruise ship day. On these days you will find the “Mama” handicraft stalls set up for authentic souvenir shopping. However, there is a main grocery store in town called LCM. I recommend a stop here for anything you might need such as insect repellent, sunscreen, water etc, as the grocery store prices are really cheap.

Local tip: At the back of LCM there’s a Chicken shop that serve lunch. You can get yourself a quarter chicken and chips for the equivalent of $6AUD!

Riri Blue Hole:

I don’t think I can pick a favourite Blue Hole in Vanuatu, however this one is quite unique as you can enter via a canoe ride along the river. I highly suggest this place if you’re going to visit only 1 Blue Hole during your time here.
Entry fee- 500Vt pp for canoe ride + 500VUV pp entry to Blue Hole

Matevulu Blue Hole:

Located about 2 mins drive from Riri Blue Hole is Matevulu Blue Hole that has its own unique beauty. There’s a massive Banyan tree overhanging the Blue Hole where you can swing from a rope, tied to it’s large majestic branches, into the crystal-blue water.
Entry fee- 500Vt pp

Day 3:

If you have the time, you may want to look into some other great places to explore such as:

• President SS Coolidge– A shipwreck diving site
• Aore Island- Immerse yourself in numerous activities such as diving, snorkeling, fishing, and kayaking.
• Freshwater Plantation- whilst on Aore Island you can also visit the plantation to get a guided tour of cocoa trees and explore an amazing bat cave.
• Siping Kava: at the Leweton Custom & Cultural Village you can do as the locals do and sip some Kava with the village chief.
• Millennium Cave: If you’re up for a little challenge and adventure, head over to the millennium cave. Thrill is guaranteed!

The Best Accommodation in Espiritu Santo

Espiritu Santo cannot be fully explored in a day. I would recommend staying on the island at least 3-4 days and there is no better place than the Beach Barrier Resort.

Barrier Beach Resort is nestled on the edge of the coast, inside a jungle-like paradise with waterfront views of the ocean. Every morning I woke up to the soothing sounds of a tropical rain-forest.
The views from the common area and restaurant are gorgeous. The resorts’ beach is lined with big trees overhanging the beautiful clear blue ocean and we were told that these were estimated to be between 500-800 years old!

The owner and staff of the resort are really friendly and full of information so make sure you take advantage and ask them for their advice or any questions you may have about the island. Your experience here will be intimate and personal, as it isn’t a large commercial resort. You will feel like you’re becoming part of a family.

The resort is conveniently located to all the main spots on the island. Matevulu and Riri Blue Holes are only 5 mins drive (or you can cycle there with the resort’s bicycles!) The Airport, Luganville, Aore Island, Nanda Blue Hole and Million Dollar Point are all within a 20 min drive.

The food here, I can safely say will be the best you will have in the entire country! Everything I ordered, breakfast, lunch and dinner was delicious and I honestly cannot fault a thing. Hats off to the wonderful chefs.

Can’t get enough of this island? Watch us in action on my Instagram Stories in Vanuatu!

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Thank you to my amazing husband for believing in me. If it weren’t for your dedication and hard work, I wouldn’t have these opportunities and beautiful memories of all our travels.

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