Apolima Island

Apolima is the eroded remnant of a volcanic cone in the strait between Upolu and Savai'i, its crater breached on the northern side so that the sea runs in through a narrow gap, and inside the rim, which rises to 165 metres around an island of slightly less than a square kilometre, a single village of around a hundred people occupies the flat ground. Landing means threading a boat through the gap in the right conditions, which is why very few people come. A lighthouse stands on the rim above.

What you'll find

• The breached crater - the eroded cone with the sea running in through a gap.
• The single village - around a hundred people on the flat ground inside.
• The landing - the boat run through the narrow entrance in the crater wall.
• The rim - the wall rising around the village with a lighthouse above.

When to go

May to October is calmest and the only reliable window for landing. Swell closes the entrance entirely. Sundays are strictly observed.

Good to know

The landing is genuinely difficult and trips are cancelled often. Permission from the village is expected and stays must be arranged. There are no facilities beyond village hospitality.

Nearby

Manono is east in the same strait, and Savai'i is west.

Key facts