Espiritu Santo — usually just “Santo” — is the biggest island in Vanuatu and the second most visited after Efate. Its small capital, Luganville, was a vast American base in World War II, and the island beyond it is all coconut plantations, rainforest and remarkable water.
The headline sights are Champagne Beach, a horseshoe of powder-fine white sand; the blue holes, deep freshwater springs of unreal clarity in the forest; and the SS President Coolidge, a luxury liner turned troopship that sank in 1942 and now lies just off the shore.
Top things to do: Espiritu Santo
Swim in the blue holes
Several springs along the east coast are open to visitors, each with its own small entry fee. Some can be reached by paddling a canoe up a jungle river.
Spend a day at Champagne Beach and Port Olry
Champagne Beach is about an hour and a half north of Luganville. Carry on to the village of Port Olry for grilled fish at a beach shack.
Dive the Coolidge and Million Dollar Point
The Coolidge is a shore dive of enormous size, suitable for a range of certified divers with a local guide. Nearby Million Dollar Point is where the US military dumped vehicles and equipment into the sea at the end of the war — also good for snorkellers.
How to get to Espiritu Santo
- Fly: domestic flights connect Port Vila with Santo’s Pekoa Airport in about an hour. Some international flights have also served Santo directly at times — check current schedules.
- Tours: a small number of Santo tours are bookable online, starting in Luganville or from east-coast accommodation.
Insider tips
- Domestic schedules have been unsettled since 2024. Reconfirm flights and avoid tight connections.
- Malaria risk is higher on Santo than around Port Vila; get medical advice on prevention before you travel.
- Champagne Beach can be very busy when a cruise ship calls and almost deserted otherwise.
Tours that include Espiritu Santo
These bookable experiences are the easiest way to see Espiritu Santo:
Island day tour from €89 Espiritu Santo: Blue Hole, Champagne Beach & Port Olry
Santo’s highlights with a local guide: a swim in a blue hole, the famous curve of Champagne Beach and a traditional lunch at Port Olry. The tour starts on Espiritu Santo, a domestic flight north of Port Vila.
- Swim in a blue hole
- Champagne Beach
- Traditional lunch at Port Olry
