Vanuatu has more than its fair share of natural attractions. The islands in South Pacific Ocean are a haven for nature enthusiasts and those who enjoy spending time and doing activities in the great outdoors. It’s an ideal destination for anyone looking to get away and reconnect with the natural world, whether they’re into adventurous pursuits or more leisurely pastimes.
In this post, we’ll round up some of the top natural attractions that the island country of Vanuatu has to offer. Keep on reading to get an idea of what you can experience if you decide to make a visit.
Blue Holes
These are freshwater lagoons that are ideal places to go and do some swimming. There are loads of these found throughout Vanuatu’s jungles and some of them have useful infrastructure built around them, including
- Public bathrooms
- Changing rooms
- Dive platforms – great for thrillseekers!
You usually have to pay a small fee to visit a blue hole, though the price is well worth it. Espiritu Santo, the largest of Vanuatu’s islands, is home to a greater concentration of blue holes than anywhere else in the world. So, if you like the sound of these natural plunge pools, this island is where you need to be heading.
Millennium Cave
This is the largest cave in all of Vanuatu and it offers stunning scenery. Visiting this im-pressive geological formation is an experience in itself, thanks to the journey you have to make there and back. The cave is located on Espiritu Santo and tours can be booked at the city of Luganville. You set off from there and head to a village, Funaspef. Then, you embark on a rather challenging hiking trail that takes you to the cave in about an hour and a half.
After you’ve explored the cave, you’ll get to relax in natural forest pools surrounded by waterfalls, before making your way back to the tour’s starting point. The tour is great for those who enjoy physical activities and the time you have in the cave is worth all the time you spend getting there.
Louniel Beach
If it’s beaches of white sand you’re after, you won’t struggle to find them in Vanuatu. Since the country is made up of over 80 islands, there are more than enough beaches to choose from. While most of them have white sand, a handful has volcanic sand that’s black in colour.
One of the country’s top black-sand beaches is Louniel Beach, which is located along the northeast coast of Tanna, an island in the southern part of the country. The island is home to several beaches with black sand thanks to its active volcano Mount Yasur, though Louniel Beach is often regarded as the best.
Mount Yasur
Speaking of Mount Yasur, it’s very much an attraction itself. This volcano, which suppos-edly enticed Captain Cook to visit the island back in 1774, is actually one of the most ac-tive in the world today. You may think that visiting the volcano isn’t possible; in fact, the opposite the true as it’s very accessible.
If you’d like to visit the top of the volcano and see some stunning volcanic scenery up close, there are local guides who will accompany you. It’s possible to visit on your own, but it’s recommended that you go with a guide.
The visit to Mount Yasur includes a drive up to one of the highest parts of the volcano. From there, you set off on a short hike to the top that lasts roughly 10 minutes or so. There are some climbing rails on the way to help you, though the crater itself doesn’t have any viewing platforms or fences. This is most likely why having a guide accompany you is advised.
Mount Benbow and Mount Marum
These are two active volcanoes located on Ambrym Island. Whereas Mount Yasur is quite easily accessible, these two aren’t. Getting to the tops of these volcanos requires several hours of hiking across rugged terrain that can be challenging to traverse in places. There-fore, visiting these volcanoes is something that’s better suited to those who are in good health and reasonably fit.
There are several guided hiking tours that let you access one, or both, of these volca-noes. The length of the tours varies depending on what settlement you’re setting off from. Some can be completed in a single day, while some require an overnight stay. There’s a lot of effort involved in reaching the summits of these volcanoes, but the reward is well worth it, especially if it happens to be a clear day when you’re at the top. The views of the island below and the magma boiling away in the crater are mesmerising.
Mele Cascades
Mele Cascades is a series of terraced pools that are dotted along a rocky hillside. The wa-ter that flows through these pools ends in a spectacular waterfall some 35 metres tall. For those who dream of swimming beneath cascading water in a lush jungle setting, a trip to Mele Cascades is a must.
This attraction can be found on the island of Efate and is not too far a drive from Port Vila. If you do end up visiting, be sure to follow the path to the top of the waterfall – don’t worry, there’s a rope to guide you and keep you safe!