Port Vila

Set around pretty Vila Bay and a series of lagoons, beaches and offshore islands, Port Vila is a surprisingly compact but energetic town. It's a little rough around the edges, with a few traffic-clogged main streets offering up a supply of souvenirs, markets, and waterfront restaurants and cafes with some lingering French influences. Beneath this veneer is an odd mix of holidaymakers, cruise ship day trippers, expats and yachties, along with ni-Van drawn from all over the archipelago.

This is the liveliest town in Vanuatu, with a mind-boggling array of tours and adventure activities, some excellent restaurants, bars, supermarkets, banks and markets. Vila is a place for comfort over culture, beach bars over basic bungalows – and that's reason enough to stay a while.

Explore Port Vila

Mele Cascades
This popular and photogenic swimming spot is 10km from Port Vila. A series of clear aquamarine pools terrace up the hillside, culminating in an impressive…
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National Museum of Vanuatu
This excellent museum, in a soaring traditional building opposite the parliament, has a well-displayed collection of traditional artefacts such as tamtam …
Iririki Island
Iririki is the green, bungalow-laden island right across from Port Vila’s waterfront; it was closed following Cyclone Pam in 2015 but is expected to…
H
Hideaway Island
Just 100m or so offshore from Mele Beach, Hideaway Island isn't all that hidden but it's one of Vila's favourite spots for snorkelling, diving or just…
E
Ekasup Cultural Village
Futuna islanders talk about and demonstrate their traditional lifestyle at their kastom village. If you're not heading out to other islands, this is an…
E
Erakor Island
Erakor is one of Vila's excellent resort islands. Day trippers can swim and snorkel at the shallow white-sand beach, kayak around the island or dine in…
V
Vila Outdoor Market
Vila’s colourful waterfront covered market (also known as the Mama's Market) is open round the clock from Monday morning to noon on Saturday with women…
S
Summit
Take the winding road up to the Summit to visit these botanic gardens offering wonderful views over Mele Bay. There's a plant distillery producing…
S
Secret Garden
The beautiful botanic gardens here help bring some of Vanuatu's island flora and its cultural uses to life. There's a kastom magic show (adult/child 1500…

Mele Cascades
This popular and photogenic swimming spot is 10km from Port Vila. A series of clear aquamarine pools terrace up the hillside, culminating in an impressive…
N
National Museum of Vanuatu
This excellent museum, in a soaring traditional building opposite the parliament, has a well-displayed collection of traditional artefacts such as tamtam …
Iririki Island
Iririki is the green, bungalow-laden island right across from Port Vila’s waterfront; it was closed following Cyclone Pam in 2015 but is expected to…
H
Hideaway Island
Just 100m or so offshore from Mele Beach, Hideaway Island isn't all that hidden but it's one of Vila's favourite spots for snorkelling, diving or just…
E
Ekasup Cultural Village
Futuna islanders talk about and demonstrate their traditional lifestyle at their kastom village. If you're not heading out to other islands, this is an…
E
Erakor Island
Erakor is one of Vila's excellent resort islands. Day trippers can swim and snorkel at the shallow white-sand beach, kayak around the island or dine in…
V
Vila Outdoor Market
Vila’s colourful waterfront covered market (also known as the Mama's Market) is open round the clock from Monday morning to noon on Saturday with women…
S
Summit
Take the winding road up to the Summit to visit these botanic gardens offering wonderful views over Mele Bay. There's a plant distillery producing…
S
Secret Garden
The beautiful botanic gardens here help bring some of Vanuatu's island flora and its cultural uses to life. There's a kastom magic show (adult/child 1500…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Port Vila.

See
Mele Cascades
This popular and photogenic swimming spot is 10km from Port Vila. A series of clear aquamarine pools terrace up the hillside, culminating in an impressive…
See
National Museum of Vanuatu
This excellent museum, in a soaring traditional building opposite the parliament, has a well-displayed collection of traditional artefacts such as tamtam …
See
Iririki Island
Iririki is the green, bungalow-laden island right across from Port Vila’s waterfront; it was closed following Cyclone Pam in 2015 but is expected to…
See
Hideaway Island
Just 100m or so offshore from Mele Beach, Hideaway Island isn't all that hidden but it's one of Vila's favourite spots for snorkelling, diving or just…
See
Ekasup Cultural Village
Futuna islanders talk about and demonstrate their traditional lifestyle at their kastom village. If you're not heading out to other islands, this is an…
See
Erakor Island
Erakor is one of Vila's excellent resort islands. Day trippers can swim and snorkel at the shallow white-sand beach, kayak around the island or dine in…
See
Vila Outdoor Market
Vila’s colourful waterfront covered market (also known as the Mama's Market) is open round the clock from Monday morning to noon on Saturday with women…
See
Summit
Take the winding road up to the Summit to visit these botanic gardens offering wonderful views over Mele Bay. There's a plant distillery producing…
See
Secret Garden
The beautiful botanic gardens here help bring some of Vanuatu's island flora and its cultural uses to life. There's a kastom magic show (adult/child 1500…

Guidebooks

Purchase our award-winning guidebooks

Get to the heart of Port Vila with one of our in-depth, award-winning guidebooks, covering maps, itineraries, and expert guidance.