With World War II wrecks to dive, dreamy blue holes to paddle to, rivers you can float long and natural wonders to explore in the island’s tropical rainforest, Santo was made for adventure.
Dive and snorkel wrecks and reefs
The clear tropical waters of Vanuatu’s largest island are a playground for wreck divers, with numerous ships and aircraft sunk during World War II to explore. The most famous is the SS President Coolidge, one of the world’s largest and most accessible wreck dives. Nearby Million Dollar Point, a dumping ground for US military vehicles and equipment, is also accessible to snorkellers.
Some of Santo’s best coral reef diving and snorkelling can be found around the smaller islands surrounding Santo including Aore island across the channel from Luganville; Dany, Maeva and Aese islands off the east coast, and Tutuba island, east of Aore, where you might be lucky enough to snorkel with grazing dugongs. Colourful anemones can often be found just metres offshore in any location.
Paddle to beautiful blue holes
Santo is home to a number of idyllic freshwater springs known as blue holes. The three main blue holes accessible to visitors – Riri, Matevulu and Nanda (also known as Jackie’s) – can all be accessed by car, but you can make it more of an adventure by kayaking to them instead.
Rent a kayak from Turtle Bay Lodge and choose your own blue hole adventure. Matevulu Blue Hole is the easiest option, located about a 50-minute paddle from the resort. Head south from the resort then paddle up the Matevulu River, where the water is so clear you can see fallen trees resting on the bottom. The entrance to Riri Blue Hole is a little further south along the coast, but it’s a shorter – and similarly beautiful – paddle upstream. Alternatively, drive to the bridge over the Riri River and pay a small fee to paddle to the blue hole in an outrigger canoe with a member of the local village.
The demanding paddle to Nanda’s Blue Hole, north of Turtle Bay, is best suited to experienced kayakers. Time all blue hole paddles with the incoming tide.
Hike to Millennium Cave
Prepare for an action-packed ecotourism adventure in the jungles of Santo on a full-day Millenium Cave Tour. Beginning in the village of Funaspef, a 45-minute drive from Luganville, you’ll spend two hours trekking through lush rainforest to the spectacular cave, carved by the Sarakata River over millennia. After using a torch to explore the cave, which is about 400m long and 50m high, you’ll float and boulder-scramble along a surreal canyon back towards Funaspef, with a steep climb at the end. Covering about 11km in total, this demanding journey requires a good level of fitness and mobility and reasonable swimming ability.
Float to Mount Hope Waterfall
Hidden in Santo’s rainforest, the Mount Hope Waterfall offers a less strenuous river adventure. On a half-day tour with Santo Heritage Tours you’ll float along a crystal-clear river that winds through a magnificent gorge with lush ferns spilling down its walls. Your river journey ends at the 15m-high Mount Hope Waterfall, from where you’ll follow your guides on an instructive walk through the verdant jungle, followed by morning tea.
Written by Sarah Reid