Saleaula Lava Fields

Between 1905 and 1911, Mount Matavanu erupted and sent lava across northern Savai'i, burying villages and reaching the sea. At Saleaula the flow filled the London Missionary Society church up to its windows and hardened there, leaving a stone shell with a floor of black rock a metre deep and trees now growing through it. Nearby is the site known as the Virgin's Grave, where the lava parted around a nun's tomb and left a clear depression - the sort of detail that has kept the story alive locally for over a century. The surrounding fields are bare black rock stretching to the coast.

What you actually see

• The buried church - lava filling the mission church to window height.
• The Virgin's Grave - the tomb the flow reportedly went around.
• The lava fields - black rock stretching toward the north coast.
• The coastal edge - where the flow met the sea.

When to go

The drier months from May to October give easier walking on the rough rock. The black lava absorbs heat, so mornings are far more comfortable than midday. Rain makes the surface slippery.

Honest expectations

The lava is sharp and uneven - proper shoes rather than sandals, and care with ankles. There is no shade and the rock radiates heat. Village fees are collected at the entrance and guides may offer to walk you round for a tip. It is a short visit, best combined with other Savai'i sites on a circuit of the island. Sunday closures apply.

Nearby

The Alofaaga blowholes further south, Manase beach and Savai'i's north coast.