Tulagi

Tulagi is a small island in the Nggela group that served as the capital of the British protectorate before the administration moved to Honiara, and it keeps a deep sheltered harbour, a few colonial-era buildings and a couple of thousand people. The water around it holds a set of wrecks in deep water, and the island is the base for the diving in the Nggelas.

History

The Spanish expedition of Álvaro de Mendaña sighted the island on 16 April 1568. From 1896 to 1942 Tulagi was the capital of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate, chosen as better isolated and healthier than the larger islands; after the Second World War the capital moved to Honiara, and Tulagi is now the capital of Central Province (Wikipedia, Tulagi).

Highlights

• The harbour - the deep sheltered anchorage the capital was built on.
• The colonial buildings - what survives of the protectorate administration.
• The deep wrecks - the vessels lying in the water around the island.
• The quiet - a former capital now holding a couple of thousand people.

When to go

May to October is the drier season and calmest for the crossing. The wet season brings squalls. Boats from Honiara run most days.

Good to know

The boat from Honiara takes around two hours in open water and is cancelled in weather. The wrecks are deep and for experienced divers only. Facilities on the island are limited.

Nearby

The Nggela Islands are around it, and Honiara is south.