Port Olry

Port Olry is a Catholic, French-speaking village on the northeastern corner of Espiritu Santo where the sealed road ends, with a long curve of white sand, coconut palms behind it and a group of small islets sitting offshore in very clear water. Boats run out to the islets from the beach. Two or three simple restaurants on the sand cook lobster and fish, which is the main reason people drive up.

Background

A 2009 estimate put the village population at 1,300. The two islets offshore are local nature reserves, reached across an underwater sandbar at low tide. The village is home to a Catholic mission. Tropical Cyclone Zuman struck in 1998, and 95% of buildings and gardens in Port Olry reported some damage. The village has since recovered, and after 2009 it gained electricity, tar-sealed roads, a renovated health centre, a branch of NBV, Vanuatu's own bank, a new post office, a renovated secondary school, new restaurants, beach bungalows and more shops.

Source: Wikipedia, "Port Olry"

The landscape

• The white beach - a long curve of pale sand at the end of the road.
• The offshore islets - the small islands sitting in clear water off the shore.
• The village - a French-speaking Catholic community on the north coast.
• The beach restaurants - simple places cooking lobster and fish on the sand.

When to go

May to October is the dry season. November to April is wet with cyclone risk. Weekends bring visitors from Luganville.

Things to know

Facilities are very basic and the restaurants may run out of what is on the menu. There is a customary fee for using the beach in places. The road is sealed but the last stretch varies.

Nearby

Champagne Beach is south, and Luganville is southwest.

Key facts