Mount Matavanu Crater

Matavanu erupted from 1905 to 1911 and sent lava across the north of Savai'i to the sea, burying villages and leaving the fields the coast is now known for, and the crater it came from sits inland with forest growing over the rim and down inside. A rough track and then a walk reach it. A local caretaker known for years as the Craterman kept the route open and collected the fee; the arrangement continues through his family.

What you actually see

• The crater - the vent the 1905 eruption came from, now forested.
• The lava route - the ground the flows crossed on their way to the coast.
• The rim forest - the vegetation grown back over and into the crater.
• The caretaker tradition - the family who keep the track open and collect the fee.

When to go

May to October is the drier season and the track is more passable. Rain makes the route very difficult. Mornings are cooler for the walk.

Honest expectations

The track needs four-wheel drive and is often impassable after rain. The walk in is hot and the crater is heavily overgrown. Facilities are none.

Nearby

Saleaula lava fields are on the coast below, and Manase is east.