Kayaking Espiritu Santo Vanuatu
A Local’s Guide to Watersports & Kayaking Espiritu Santo Vanuatu
Vanuatu is a paddling paradise but by far the best kayaking and watersports adventures are found on Espiritu Santo Island, specifically along the east coast between Aore Island and Port Olry. This area is protected from the SE trade winds and the southerly swells that prevail for over half the year (June – Sept) and it features dozens of small islands to explore, as well as spectacular reef, beaches and blue holes to enjoy. The jewel in the crown is definitely Turtle Bay and surrounds (see more about this area below). For a taste of what it’s like to paddle board (SUP) around Santo click HERE .
Aore Island
Aore Island Resort & Freshwater Plantation
Aore Island Resort has a free ferry you can catch across to the island from Luganville (usually behind Santo Hardware). At the resort it’s possible to hire out kayaks and its worth a paddle along the coast to explore some of the reef and beaches in the area. You can also do the same while visiting Freshwater Plantation on Aore (their boat leaves from Starfish Kava Bar about 10-15 min south of Luganville). Snorkelling at both of these locations is Ok but not great, the reef here is still recovering from Cyclone Harold in 2020. For the best snorkelling on Aore it might be best to catch a water taxi over and go to Cindy’s Reef.
Lapita Beach Club & Aore Coffee
The Lapita Beach Club also provides some great snorkelling on Aore Island. Bookings need to be made in advance and the boat leaves from St Michel Landing about 10 mins south of Luganville, You can choose to go on their Plantation tour of a working cattle and coconut Plantation, or alternatively organise to have a beachfront BBQ lunch with fresh cut coconut and cold beverages. And every Tuesday and Friday they can organise sunset brinks and kava tasting or even a BBQ dinner (as long as you book in advance). For more information click here.
Finally you can catch a water taxi from Luganville to Aore Island Coffee for around 1500vt (see wharf behind Santo Hardware) on a Saturday or Sunday for a lazy morning breakfast/brunch and then swim and snorkel at the nearby beach after. Contact Aore Island Coffee for more info (they can also recommend a taxi boat).
South Santo
About 35 mins drive south of Luganville is another great little paddle/kayaking destination worth checking out. It’s based around Venui Plantation. There are offshore islands, reef and beaches to explore. Venui is a working plantation that grows vanilla, pepper, limes and beef cattle. It also rents out a cottage and a house for overnight and weekly rental and they have a number of kayaks and paddle boards that are free to use with the room rental. Sometimes if you ask nicely they will allow you to use the facilities (kayaks/picnic area, beach etc) if you just want to visit for the day – message them or contact them via their Facebook page or look them up on AirBnb. Not sure if there’s a cost involved for the day hire. Make a day of it by taking a picnic lunch and visiting nearby Tuffintari Falls or Tongoa Island ( a short outrigger canoe paddle away from the mainland) while you’re in south Santo. Tongoa Island has some spectacular reef to snorkel on.
Palekula Point/Santo Golf Club
Palekula Bay is a beautiful protected area for a swim, SUP or paddle. It’s framed by a long peninsula of land (Palekula Point) that can be reached via the loop road from town (past Million Dollar Point) or via the turn off at the top or bottom of the hill at Suranda (but be advised this is a very rough dirt road in parts). It’s the same road that goes to the Santo Golf Course (there’s no sign so ask the locals). Palekula Point is lined by white sand beaches and fringing reef. It’s beautiful but can be a little shallow at low tide. It’s a favourite BBQ spot on weekends for the locals. At the Santo Golf Club (west of Paleukula Point) you can swim at the beach, snorkel on the reef and join in for a game of golf and/or a BBQ lunch on the weekends (check out their facebook page HERE).
Barrier Beach/Natanara
Exploring the area around Barrier Beach or Natanara (home to Black Pearl Resort) via kayak or SUP is possible however you would need to book in for lunch at Barrier Beach Resort or Oceanic Restaurant at Black Pearl Resort and then ask them about using or hiring some of their kayaks or SUPs. There’s lots of great reef to snorkel on here although it can get choppy if there is a SE trade wind blowing.
Turtle Bay
Turtle Bay is the ultimate kayaking and watersports destination in Espiritu Santo. You could easily spend a week here exploring everything on offer. It’s a large protected lagoon around 7km long surrounded by half a dozen inner islands and three outer islands (Day Island, Ais and Mavea). The best of the inner islands is Oyster Island while the best of the outer islands is Mavea (Note – Dany Island charges 1000vt pp to snorkel and land on the island but Mavea is free). It takes around 45 mins to paddle across the passage from Turtle Bay to a beautiful white sand beach on the northern end of Mavea Island on a calm day (or half an hour to Dany Is). Honeymoon Beach on Oyster Island is a great place to have a picnic and a snorkel. It’s located on the northern side of Oyster island.
Alternatively you can go into Riri Village and ask the locals there about getting a banana boat across to Oyster Island or Mavea Is. Price to Mavea is usually around 6,000vt for a return trip (half that for Oyster).
Perhaps two of the most amazing paddles you can do at Turtle Bay involves kayaking up the two stunningly beautiful crystal rivers that lead to Ri Ri and Matevulu blue holes. Note that the custom owners will charge you between 1000 and 1500 vt for doing this. There’s also a third blue hole you can kayak to (sort of) just north of Turtle Bay Lodge . It’s about a 4km paddle to the top of the bay (ideally at high tide as its a shallow entry) and there are lots of amazing reefs and turtles along the way. Worth a snorkel if you can find a beach to land on. At the NE corner of the bay there is the entrance to a large river. You can try paddling up the river (around 4-5kms – keeping to the left at the main fork in the river) to get to Nanda Blue Hole. But beware, there are thick mats of water lillies along the way which you will have to battle your way through in order to get to the blue hole.
The custom owners at Nanda Blue hole will charge you 1000vt each for entering and swimming in this area). If you do not want to pay, stop at some of the other swimming holes on the way up to the blue hole (and there are plenty!). It takes about 2.5 hours to paddle there. You can also explore the other fork in the river (it goes up another 2 kms) but it does not lead to a second blue hole (just a lot of tangled, Amazon-like overgrown waterways!). We recommend either a one way paddle with a pick up at Nanda/Jackies Blue Hole or a return paddle to Turtle Bay Beach House, the perfect base for your kayaking Espiritu Santo Vanuatu experience!
Turtle Bay Beach House
Both Turtle Bay Beach House and Turtle Bay Tree House have a range of single and double expedition sea kayaks as well as slower but steadier sit-on-top double kayaks. In addition there is a surf ski and stand up paddleboards. All the watersports equipment is free to use when you base yourself at the holiday houses. In addition there is a specially made kayak ramp for easy access to the water as well as a beach shower to wash yourself off after a paddle. To check out the rooms click HERE.
Alternatively you can also rent good quality kayaks and SUPs for a half day or day from Turtle Bay Lodge or ask at the Dive Center there about snorkelling and diving boat trips to the nearby islands.
Kayaking Espiritu Santo Vanuatu
Champagne Beach & Lonnoc Beach
This is an amazing paddle and watersports destination and well worth the effort to get there. There are a number of tourist accommodation bungalows stretched out along Lonnoc Beach and some of them have kayaks for hire. They vary dramatically in shape, size and condition. Start at Lonnoc Beach Eco-Lodge and work your way east along the beach in your search for a decent kayak. Use this area as a launching off point to explore the whole of the Champagne/Lonnoc Bay right out to Champagne Point and back. Remember if you land at Champagne Beach they will hit you up for a 1000vt pp entry fee each! Everywhere else is free. Lots of beautiful reef to snorkel on and a few isolated beaches to discover if the tide is right. It’s mostly sheltered from the SE tradewinds so it’s a great place to paddle.
Hideaway Paradise Bungalows
This beautiful little spot is located about 5km before you reach Port Olry (look for the sign on the right). It offers some great reef snorkelling (but only at high tide when you can get over the reef surrounding the lagoon), some beautiful white sand beaches to stroll on, an island you can swim to and even a restaurant to eat at! Best of all they have kayaks you can hire to paddle around the nearby islands, coastline and beaches. A hidden gem for kayaking Espiritu Santo Vanuatu.
Kayaking Espiritu Santo Vanuatu
Port Olry
With over half a dozen islands to explore and some stunning white sand beaches to launch or land on, Port Olry is a kayakers dream. Best to base yourself at Chez Louis restaurant. He can also provide you with a guide to help you explore Dolphin Island. There are a number of bungalows along the beach, some of which have kayaks for rent. Don’t expect to find many and they vary drastically in their seaworthiness. The alternative is to have the locals paddle you out in their own wooden dugout canoes. The small island about 800m to the right of Chez Louis has a nice sand beach and reef area and is also home to a fruit bat colony.
Dolphin Island
Our favourite paddle is to go across to Dolphin Island and visit the secret lake. Aim to go through the passage between Dolphin Island and the closest island to the mainland and you’ll see a long sand spit. Follow the coast around to the north side of the sand spit where the long white sand beach is and pull up under one of the large overhanging trees there. Then look for a path through the bush and coconut plantations that will take you east to the large freshwater lake located under the eye of the Dolphin (check it out on Google Maps). If yo’ve reached the right place you’ll see a grassy picnic area to swim from. It’s not easy to find! The alternative is to take a local guide along with you who can show you the way.
The best snorkelling around Dolphin Island is on the little cluster of islands about 800m just to the NW of the beach you landed on. There’s a little beach you can land your kayaks on. Also there’s a shipwreck on the reefs just north of the closest island to the mainland (it comes out at lowtide) which makes for interesting snorkelling.
Kayaking Espiritu Santo Vanuatu
For those interested in doing longer kayaking and paddling expeditions, the east coast is the ideal playground. Here’s a breakdown of some of the best paddles you can do.
Palekula Bay – Suranda Bay
If you are an experienced paddler and have your own sea kayaks, you can do a one way paddle from Palekula Bay to Suranda following the coast. It is not advisable to paddle from Luganville around the point to Palekula unless the weather is very calm as there can be big waves and tidal movement here. The coastline north of Palekula takes you past some beautiful beaches and fringing reef to Suranda Bay, which is renown for being a haven for dugongs and turtles. If you don’t have kayaks but still want to go snorkelling and spot dugongs in this area you’re best bet is to hook up with Island Fishing Santo tours.
There is also a river leading up to a blue hole here that you can explore. This blue hole in Suranda is privately owned but you can rent it out for the day (or half day) for a very reasonable price. Its right next to the road on the long straightaway after you pass the bridge at Suranda. Talk to Awa at the Pacific/Unity Service Station at the start of town to arrange for the key. If there’s a group of you it actually works out cheaper than going to some of the other blue holes and you get to have it all to yourself!
Alternatively you can follow a route along the outer islands by paddling from Palekula Point across the channel to Ais Island, hugging the inner coastline north to Mavea Island and then eventually onto Dany Island. There are some nice beaches at the northern end of Ais and Mavea.
Barrier Beach
Paddling Suranda to Barrier Beach
This is a very pretty kayak paddle that takes you past Lope Lope, Tides Reach and Barrier Beach. Lots of beautiful fringing reef and pristine beaches to explore along this stretch of coastline, especially as you head further north. It’s also well known as a dugong hotspot. There is a river leading to a blue hole at Lope Lope (can only get into it at high tide) that is very pretty and definitely worth exploring.
If you decide to paddle the entire coastline its recommended to do this as a one way paddle with a pick up at the end destination of Turtle Bay. Why? Because the prevailing winds and waves are mostly SE so its a hard paddle back! A one way paddle north is approx. 10 -12km and will take you 3 hrs to paddle depending on wind, tide and kayaking ability. Alternatively you can book into Turtle Bay Beach House as your end destination or have Willie the house manager drop you off with some kayaks at Suranda or Barrier Beach so you can do the one way paddle back yourselves!
Kayaking Espiritu Santo Vanuatu
Velit Bay
The next point around from Turtle Bay (about 9kms north) is Velit Bay (see photo below or go to Beaches page for more info). Much of this area is privately owned but there are plenty of sandy beaches on the northern side of the bay (away from the main house) where you can relax and swim. You will pass a couple of islands on the way to Velit – firstly Lataroa (Pilotin) Island and then Lataro (Satoshi) Island. Lataro is privately owned but it’s possible to stay here in one of their beautiful cottages (see AIrBnB for details). Lataroa Island is currently uninhabited and there is a nice white sand beach with some fringing reef on the western side of the island.
Paddling Velit Bay to Champagne Beach
The white sand beach at the western end of Velit Bay next to the big house is privately owned by the Chinese and they are not keen on unannounced visitors. Keep in mind, this stretch of the coast is rugged, isolated and features exposed open water, so only experienced kayakers should attempt this. There is nowhere to pull out your kayaks unless you ask permission from the owners of the Chinese-owned Plantation surrounding the beach. Also note the prevailing winds during most of winter are trade winds that blow steadily from the S-SE (in the summer they generally blow from the N or NE) so most people do a one-way trip north with a pick up at Champagne Beach (only advisable in good weather). This section of coastline is rugged and offers little protection from the wind and waves. There are no beaches or protected bay to pull into. If you are paddling, best to continue north until you reach Champagne Beach.
Elephant Island/Port Olry
There’s a large island about 4km just offshore at Champagne Beach (Elephant Island) which has some small beaches and excellent snorkelling on the SW corner of the island. Only paddle out here if the weather is good and its mid-low tide as it is open to the swells and wind and the beaches are small and only accessible at a mid-lower tide. For more information on islands you can paddle to, check out our Islands page. If you have your own kayaks and are a keen paddler, a one way paddle from Lonnoc to Port Olry is a great expedition paddle to do in good weather. Make sure to drop into Golden Beach along the way (just watch the reef)! Takes about 3.5 hrs.
Port Olry Blue Holes
Just nortth of the main Port Olry beach is a deep protected bay lined by beaches. If you paddle deep into the bay it eventually turns into an inlet and then a river. The river forks into two – the left hand fork takes you to two beautiful blue holes while the right fork takes you to a shallow freshwater swimming hole (locals often wassh their cars and horses here). This is a great paddle if the wind is up as its very protected. You could do a one way paddle in and be picked up at the swimmnig hole there as it has road access.
Cape Quiros
About 5-6 kms north of Port Olry is stunning Cape Quiros, a beautiful protected bay with two gorgeous white sand beaches framed by some very nice coral fringing reef that is perfect for snorkelling. Youn can drive or paddle there. If youre driving stay to the left of the big mountain and then follow the roads that stay close to the coast. If you’re paddling, follow the coastline north from Port Olry around until you reach the other side of the large mountain and you will see the bay and a long white beach. There is a second beach just north of the first one. We recommend to do this as a one way paddle – there is a road access is via the abandoned village at the southern end of Cape Quiros beach or from the little beach at the north end.