Port Vila: a first-timer's guide to Vanuatu's capital

Getting your bearings

The town runs along the waterfront, with the main street, Kumul Highway (often still called Lini Highway), lined with shops, banks, cafés and duty free stores. Iririki Island sits just offshore, reached by a free resort ferry for guests and diners, and Erakor Lagoon lies to the south, where many of the resorts are. The airport is a short ride inland, and most hotels are fifteen minutes or less from the centre.

Getting around is simple. Minibuses with a red **B** on the number plate run shared routes all day: flag one down, say where you are going and pay the driver on arrival. Taxis carry a **T** plate and should agree a fare before you set off. Walking the waterfront is safe and pleasant by day.

The market and the museum

Start at the **Port Vila Central Market** on the waterfront, open around the clock from Monday morning to Saturday midday. Women from villages across Efate and nearby islands sleep beside their stalls of island cabbage, taro, yams, pamplemousse, flowers and peanuts. At the back, food stalls serve hearty plates of rice, beef and fish to office workers at lunch.

The **Vanuatu Cultural Centre and National Museum**, opposite Parliament, is small but superb. Ask about a sand drawing demonstration: these continuous single-line drawings traced in the sand are recognised by UNESCO, and watching one is a quiet highlight of many trips.

Lagoons, cascades and islands

North of town, the **Mele Cascades** tumble over terraces of limestone into clear pools, an easy, rewarding walk with swimming at the top. Just offshore from Mele, **Hideaway Island** is a marine reserve with excellent snorkelling straight off the beach and the famous underwater post office, where you can post a waterproof postcard.

On the east side of the island, the **Blue Lagoon** at Eton is a vivid swimming hole with rope swings, and Eton Beach is one of the best family beaches on Efate. Both are on the **Efate Ring Road**, a sealed loop of around a hundred and thirty kilometres that makes a superb full-day trip with a local driver, passing villages, beaches, the Second World War relics at Havannah Harbour and the islands of Lelepa and Moso.

To the west, **Chief Roi Mata's Domain** is Vanuatu's UNESCO World Heritage Site, the burial place and lands of a sixteenth century chief, visited on community-run tours to Lelepa Island and Fels Cave.

Food and kava

Port Vila punches well above its size for food, thanks to French influence and superb local produce. Look for Santo beef, fresh reef fish, coconut crab only in season and from legal sources, lap lap baked in an underground oven, and excellent Tanna coffee. Waterfront restaurants serve French and Pacific dishes, while the seafront food stalls are great value.

At dusk, look for a hanging lantern outside a shack: that marks a **nakamal**, or kava bar. Kava here is strong and earthy. Drink it in one go, sit quietly, and have a plain snack after.

Where to stay

The main choice is between the centre, where you can walk to restaurants and the market, and the lagoon resorts around Erakor and Pango, which feel more like a beach holiday. Family resorts with kids' clubs, small boutique hotels and simple guesthouses all exist. For somewhere quieter, Havannah Harbour on the north west coast has a few lovely adults-focused retreats.

Practical notes

The December 2024 earthquake damaged some buildings in the centre; most of the town is open, but check that any specific place still operates. Sunday is quiet, with many shops closed. Carry cash for buses, markets and village fees, and keep valuables out of sight at night.