Luganville

Luganville sits on the southern coast of Espiritu Santo along a single very wide main street, which is wide because the Americans laid it out during the Second World War when the island held a base of well over a hundred thousand personnel. Quonset huts, concrete slabs and wharf remains are scattered through the town and the bush around it. It is the base for everything on Santo and the market runs most days.

Background

Only Port Vila is a bigger city in Vanuatu than Luganville, which counted 17,719 people in the 2020 census on 8.32 square kilometres. People from the northern islands often call it Santo, while rural residents of Espiritu Santo know it as Kanal, from the old French name Canal du Segond. The main street, Boulevard Higinson, is lined mostly with tourist boutiques and general stores, and the port at one end is one of the island's two main ports. In the 2020 census 87.8% of residents reported literacy in English and 52.6% in French, and many of Vanuatu's 138 Indigenous languages are spoken in town. Northern Provincial Hospital and the Vanuatu Health Training Institute are also based here.

Source: Wikipedia, "Luganville"

What to look for

• The wide main street - a road laid out to American wartime specifications.
• The wartime remains - Quonset huts, slabs and wharves through the town and bush.
• The market - the produce and craft trading that runs most days.
• The Segond Channel - the water the town faces across to Aore island.

When to go

May to October is the dry season and most comfortable. November to April is the wet and cyclone season. The market is fullest early in the morning.

Practical notes

The town itself is plain and functions as a base rather than a destination. Facilities are basic. Cyclone damage has affected the town repeatedly and repairs are ongoing.

Nearby

Million Dollar Point is east, and the Blue Holes are northeast.

Key facts