Nukufetau Atoll

Nukufetau has one of the larger lagoons in Tuvalu with a deep pass that ships can actually use, which is rare in the group, and around thirty islets on the ring. American forces built an airstrip on Motulalo in the 1940s and the surface and the scattered remains are still there among the coconut. The main village is on Savave and around six hundred people live on the atoll. The atoll lies about half a day north of Funafuti and is one of the easier outer islands to reach.

Highlights

• The deep pass - a lagoon entrance ships can actually use.
• The Motulalo airstrip - the 1940s surface still visible among the coconut.
• The islet ring - around thirty motus around the lagoon.
• The village - the settlement on Savave islet.

When to go

May to October is drier and calmer. Ships run every few weeks at best. November to April is the cyclone season.

Good to know

Sailings from Funafuti are infrequent and getting stuck is normal. There is no accommodation beyond community arrangements. Nothing at the airstrip is interpreted or maintained.

Nearby

Vaitupu is north, and Funafuti is south.