Sigatoka Sand Dunes

The Sigatoka Sand Dunes, on the Coral Coast of the main island of Viti Levu, are Fiji's first national park and one of its most unexpected landscapes, a dramatic, wild sweep of towering sand dunes rising along the coast where the Sigatoka River meets the sea. Shaped by millennia of wind and waves, the dunes hold great archaeological importance, having yielded ancient pottery, tools and human burials thousands of years old. Walking trails cross the windswept dunes and coastal forest to a rugged, surf-pounded beach.

What you actually see

• The towering dunes - the wild, windswept coastal sand hills.
• The archaeology - the ancient pottery and burial site history.
• The walking trails - the loops across dunes and forest.
• The rugged beach - the surf-pounded shore below the dunes.

When to go

May to October, the drier, cooler season, for the most comfortable walking, as the exposed dunes are hot and shadeless; go in the morning or late afternoon to avoid the midday sun. The visitor centre explains the site's important archaeology.

Honest expectations

It is a modest, low-key site rather than a grand attraction, offering a windswept walk and history rather than the tropical beauty most come to Fiji for, so it appeals to those curious about the islands' geology and ancient past. The dunes are hot and exposed, and the beach below has dangerous surf for swimming. As a surprising, atmospheric contrast to the resorts and reefs, though, it is an interesting half-day.

Nearby

The town of Sigatoka, its river valley and the Coral Coast resorts are nearby.