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.

History

Mount Matavanu was born in an eruption that began on 4 August 1905, nine miles east of the Mata o le Afi crater, which had erupted in 1902. The early phase was explosive; from September 1905 lava poured out, the village of Toapaipai was overrun in December, and by March 1906 the flow had reached the sea and was running along the top of the reef. The villages of Salago and Sale'aula were lost, fumes ruined crops and caused famine, and by September 1906 the lava covered 35 square miles. The eruption went on until 1911, and several villages of the district had to be moved. In November 2022 Matavanu was recognised by the International Union of Geological Sciences as a Geological Heritage Site (Wikipedia, Mount Matavanu).

What to look for

• 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.

Practical notes

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.