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Major city · Vanuatu

LuganvilleSanto

Base in Luganville 3–5 nights for the SS President Coolidge wreck and Champagne Beach; it is a diving town, not a beach town.

Not yet checkedSourcesWhat these labels mean

Luganville is the second-largest town in Vanuatu and the service base for Espiritu Santo, the country's biggest island. Almost everyone here is a diver: the SS President Coolidge, a WWII troop carrier sunk in 1942, is one of the most accessible wreck dives in the world. The town itself is utilitarian — a main road, Chinese stores, a produce market — and the good beaches, blue holes and caves sit 30–60 minutes out of town. Give it 3–5 nights: two or three for the wreck and the reefs, one for Champagne Beach and a blue hole, one spare because domestic flights and weather slip.

basic guide: no trip line yet
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
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More ways in
Print / PDF guide
Local time, weather, currency, airports
Weather
see forecast
Currency
VUV
Best months
May–Oct (drier, cooler, peak diving season)
avoid Jan–Mar (wettest, cyclone season)
Airport
SON
Nights
3–5
Rules in force · 6
  • Oceania ↗Oceania's island states guard their farms and reefs at the border: tick 'yes' on the arrival card for any food, plant, animal product, soil or used outdoor gear, and let the officer decide.
  • Oceania ↗Across the tropical South Pacific, cyclones are possible from November to April: choose insurance that covers weather delays and keep one spare night before a long-haul departure.
  • Melanesia ↗Malaria is present in Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and parts of Vanuatu (not Fiji or New Caledonia): ask a travel clinic about tablets before you go.
  • Vanuatu ↗Many nationalities receive a visitor permit on arrival, but rules vary by passport: check the Vanuatu Immigration and Passport Services Department before booking.
  • Vanuatu ↗Land, beaches and many attractions are owned by local communities: pay the custom or landowner fee where asked, and ask before entering villages.
  • Vanuatu ↗Volcano visits (Yasur on Tanna, Ambrym and others) follow official alert levels: go only with local guides and follow closures.
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾

Not in this guide yet

  • Walking areas with bag rules
  • Day plans checked against opening hours
  • Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
  • Field-checked times and prices
Emergency numbers for Luganville112 ▾

Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.

EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Luganville, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Show all 12 answers

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • BeerTusker beer, small storeVT 200
  • Taxi, about 5 km (3 mi)Taxi across towncheckVT 500–1,000
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekcheckVT 2,000–4,000
  • Museum or sight ticketBlue hole entryVT 1,000
  • Budget bedHostel or guesthouse bed, a night, per personVUV 2,500
  • Mid-range bedHotel double room, a night, per roomVUV 15,000
  • High-end bedHotel double room, a night, per roomVUV 30,000

A day, not counting the bed: Budget VUV 6,000 · Mid VUV 12,000 · High VUV 22,000

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

SS President Coolidge wreck diveChampagne BeachBlue holes (Riri, Matevulu, Jackie's)Santo beef and kava
Airports
SON Santo-Pekoa International Airport (About 5 km (3.1 mi) east of town; taxi to the centre roughly VT 700, minibuses cheaper but slower to fill.)

Best months at a glance

From the guide's best and avoid lists

  1. Jan

    Avoid

    30°C (86°F)

  2. Feb

    Avoid

    30°C (86°F)

  3. Mar

    Avoid

    30°C (86°F)

  4. Apr

    not flagged

    30°C (85°F)

  5. May

    Best

    29°C (83°F)

  6. Jun

    Best

    28°C (82°F)

  7. Jul

    Best

    27°C (81°F)

  8. Aug

    Best

    27°C (81°F)

  9. Sep

    Best

    28°C (82°F)

  10. Oct

    Best

    29°C (83°F)

  11. Nov

    not flagged

    29°C (85°F)

  12. Dec

    not flagged

    30°C (86°F)

Best: May–Oct. Avoid: Jan–Mar. Month by month →

Warmest Jan (30°C (86°F)), coolest Aug (21°C (70°F) low), wettest Jan (18 rain days), driest Aug (8). Averages, not a forecast.

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Luganville: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

30°C (86°F)

23°C (73°F)

18 rd

Feb

30°C (86°F)

23°C (73°F)

17 rd

Mar

30°C (86°F)

23°C (73°F)

18 rd

Apr

30°C (85°F)

23°C (73°F)

16 rd

May

29°C (83°F)

22°C (72°F)

13 rd

Jun

28°C (82°F)

22°C (71°F)

11 rd

Jul

27°C (81°F)

21°C (70°F)

9 rd

Aug

27°C (81°F)

21°C (70°F)

8 rd

Sep

28°C (82°F)

21°C (70°F)

9 rd

Oct

29°C (83°F)

22°C (71°F)

11 rd

Nov

29°C (85°F)

22°C (72°F)

13 rd

Dec

30°C (86°F)

22°C (72°F)

15 rd

High / low, both scales · rd = rain days

Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The town is small enough to walk, but the sights are not: taxis and minibuses are the practical way around. Minibuses run a flat VT 100 in town; taxis cost more and are worth it in heat or rain. Roads off the main road are dirt or leftover WWII cement, so allow extra time. For Champagne Beach, the blue holes and the caves, hire a driver for the day or join a dive-shop tour.

Nearest full guides

Straight-line distance, not travel time

See & doDay-trips, door to door

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

SS President Coolidge wreck

go

Door to door: Half day

Dive boat from a Luganville dive shop, 10–20 min to the site

Two dives usually needed to see the bow and the stern; certified divers only, book ahead in peak season.

Champagne Beach

go

Door to door: 3–5 h with stops

East Coast Road by hired vehicle or tour, about 1 h

Small landowner entry fee; combine with a blue hole on the way back.

Riri and Matevulu blue holes

go

Door to door: Half day

East Coast Road, 30–40 min from town

About VT 1,000 entry each; Jackie's blue hole is further but has changing rooms and toilets.

Millennium Caves

caution

Door to door: Half day

Hired bus plus a village guide, roughly 45 min

You wade and float through; bring a torch and reef shoes, and arrange the guide through your hotel.

Aore Island

go

Door to door: Half day or a night

Ferry across the Segond Channel

Resorts, reef and wreck diving; check ferry times with your hotel.

Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Main Street / town centre

Hotel Santo and the market, walkable to shops and eateries; best if you have no car.

Big Hill (Deco Stop side)

Halfway up the hill, quieter, views over the Segond Channel; a 15–20 min walk down to town.

Western edge (Coral Quays, Rue San Michel)

Beachfront and self-contained; you will want a taxi or rental for town.

East Coast Road (Barrier Beach area)

Beach resort with reef snorkelling; 20–30 min drive from town, own transport useful.

PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
VT 6,000–10,000 excl. bed
Mid
VT 10,000–18,000 excl. bed
High
VT 18,000+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Hotel double room1 × 4 nights × VUV 15,000VUV 60,000
Food, local transport, entries2 × 4 days × VUV 12,000VUV 96,000
Two-tank Coolidge dive with gear2 × VUV 15,000 · checkVUV 30,000
Taxi airport to town1 × VUV 700 · checkVUV 700
Minibus ride in town2 × VUV 100VUV 200
eSIM, about a week of data2 × VUV 3,000 · checkVUV 6,000
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeVUV 19,290
Trip total≈ VUV 26,520 per person per day, bed includedVUV 212,190

2026 estimate in vatu; international flights and dive courses excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Market meal with rice (beef stew, egg, fish)VT 300–400
Tusker beer, small storeVT 200
Kava shellVT 50–150
Blue hole entryVT 1,000
Taxi across towncheckVT 500–1,000
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekcheckVT 2,000–4,000

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Luganville is a small, low-crime town and tap water is generally safe to drink. The real risks are cyclone-season weather, unsealed roads after rain, sun and reef cuts, and drinking too much kava on a first night.
  • Cyclone season runs roughly Nov–Apr; check forecasts and travel insurance before booking.
  • Many roads outside town are unsealed and slow after rain — a 30 km (19 mi) trip can take an hour.
  • Bring your own toiletries and medicines; imported goods are limited and pricey.
  • Kava is strong for first-timers: start with a VT 100 shell and stop at VT 200.
  • Reef shoes or dive booties for the Millennium Caves; you will get wet.

Emergency numbers

Ambulance
112
Fire
113

Pocket card

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LuganvilleSanto

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Plis tekem mi go long address iaTake me to this address, please

Emergency

  • Ambulance112
  • Fire113

Embassy

No embassies in Luganville; the Australian, New Zealand, French and other missions are in Port Vila (check).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Airport → town centre, taxi: about VT 700, 10–15 min (check)
  • Minibus in town: flat VT 100
  • Blue hole entry: VT 1,000 each

Say or show

  • Halo — Hello (hah-loh)
  • Tangkyu — Thank you (tang-kyoo)
  • Hamas kastom blong hem? — How much is it? (hah-mas kas-tom blong hem)
  • Wea nao toilet? — Where is the toilet? (weh-ah now toy-let)
  • Bambai — Goodbye (bam-bye)

Cash is king outside town: bring vatu for entry fees, market food and kava.

Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Luganville. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Oct (drier, cooler, peak diving season) · avoid Jan–Mar (wettest, cyclone season) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. An airport-to-bed path that says whether a late landing still works
  2. Walking clusters with bag rules
  3. Day plans checked against opening hours
  4. Field-verified times and fares

Meanwhile

Back to Vanuatu

Sources