Paia Dwarfs Cave

A lava tube runs underground at Paia village on Savai'i's north coast, formed when the outside of a flow cooled while the molten rock inside drained away, and the passage continues for a considerable distance with chambers, drops and narrow sections. Village guides take visitors in with lamps. The name comes from a tradition that small people lived in the cave. It is a genuine caving trip rather than a lit walkway.

What you actually see

• The lava tube - the passage left when a flow drained from inside its crust.
• The chambers - the wider sections along the underground route.
• The lamp-lit entry - guides taking visitors in with lights from the village.
• The dwarf tradition - the story of small people that gives the cave its name.

When to go

May to October is the drier season. The cave can flood after heavy rain. Guides work from the village during the day.

Honest expectations

This is real caving: muddy, dark, with drops and low sections, and not suitable for everyone. Guides and lamps are essential and must be arranged in the village. It floods after rain.

Nearby

Manase is east along the north coast, and Matavanu is inland.