Funafuti Atoll

Funafuti, the capital atoll of Tuvalu, is the heart of one of the smallest, most remote and least-visited nations on earth. A slender, low-lying ribbon of coral islets, in places only a few dozen metres wide, encircles a vast and beautiful turquoise lagoon, and on the main islet the airport runway, used only for the rare flights, doubles by day and evening as the community's great open space, where children play, people stroll and volleyball is played until a plane is due. Serene, friendly and utterly off the beaten path, with a gentle pace of village life, lagoon swimming and a powerful sense of a precious world on the front line of rising seas, Funafuti is a rare and moving place.

What you actually see

• The lagoon - the vast, beautiful turquoise lagoon.
• The runway life - the airstrip as the community gathering place.
• The coral islets - the slender, low-lying ribbon of land.
• The village pace - the gentle, friendly island life.

When to go

May to October, the drier, cooler season, for the best weather; Funafuti is reached only by infrequent flights from Fiji, so a visit must be carefully planned around the limited schedule. The lagoon is warm and inviting year-round, and the atoll's gentle village life unfolds at its own unhurried pace.

Honest expectations

Tuvalu is among the very least-visited countries on earth, extraordinarily remote, tiny and undeveloped, with very basic facilities, minimal accommodation and only a handful of flights, so it suits only the most adventurous and patient travellers seeking somewhere truly off the map; the nation is also acutely threatened by rising seas. For the rare experience of one of the smallest and remotest nations on earth, though, its beautiful lagoon, gentle village life and poignant, precarious setting, Funafuti is a genuinely singular and moving destination.

Nearby

The Funafuti Conservation Area and the outer atolls are within the nation.