Espíritu Santo

Espiritu Santo, the largest island of Vanuatu, is a tropical paradise of extraordinary natural beauty and one of the world's great diving destinations. Its coast is fringed with dazzling white-sand beaches, above all the famous Champagne Beach, a flawless curve of powder-white sand and clear turquoise water. Inland, magical freshwater blue holes, pools of astonishingly clear, vivid blue water fed by springs, offer serene swimming amid the jungle. Offshore lies the SS President Coolidge, a huge sunken wartime ocean liner that is one of the most accessible and celebrated wreck dives on the planet.

What you actually see

• Champagne Beach - the flawless white-sand and turquoise beach.
• The blue holes - the vivid blue freshwater swimming holes.
• The SS President Coolidge - the world-class wartime wreck dive.
• Millennium Cave - the adventurous jungle cave and river trek.

When to go

April to October, the drier, cooler season, for the best weather, calmest seas and clearest diving and blue-hole conditions; the wet season is hotter with a cyclone risk. The island is reached by a flight from Port Vila to Luganville, and its beaches, blue holes and dive sites reward a relaxed few days.

Honest expectations

Espiritu Santo is remote and rustic, reached by an internal flight, with simple accommodation and rough roads to some sights, so it suits relaxed, adventurous travellers rather than those wanting resort polish; the famous Coolidge wreck is a serious dive best suited to experienced divers. For gorgeous beaches, magical blue holes and world-class wreck diving on a beautiful, unspoilt island, though, Espiritu Santo is a genuine South Pacific gem.

Nearby

The town of Luganville and the outer islands are within reach.