Port Vila (French: Port-Vila) is the capital of Vanuatu. Vanuatu's largest town, with some 50,000 people, it lies on the south coast of the island of Efate in the province of Shefa, right in the middle of the archipelago.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Often described as the most beautiful capital in the South Pacific, Port Vila owes this epithet less to its street-level appearance, a hodgepodge collection of concrete buildings in varying states of repair and congested, potholed roads, and more to its stunning location on the lush green hillside by the blue waters of Mele Bay. As the political, economic, cultural and transport hub of Vanuatu, "Vila" offers the nation's best eating, shopping and resorts, and nearly all tourists and divers exploring the country's various islands, beaches and diving spots will at least pass through. This article covers greater Port Vila, roughly defined as "where public buses will go", meaning the crescent of…
Orienting yourself in Port Vila is straightforward, since the town is squeezed in between Mele Bay to the west and Erakor Lagoon to the east. The main road, Kumul Highway, travels near the bay side, passing through central district of Nambawan (as in #1) and then south in neat logical order through Nambatu and Nambatri. Allow plenty of time to get around, since Port Vila has surprisingly heavy traffic for its size. On a bad day, it can take up to an hour to cross town from the airport to the southern resorts or vice versa. Buses in Port Vila are really shared taxis: Toyota Hiace-type minivans with red "B" license plates, they shuttle up and down the main roads of Port Vila.
1 National Museum of Vanuatu (Vanuatu Cultural Centre), ☏ +678 22129. M-F 09:00-16:30, Sa 9:00-12:00. Dusty exhibits relating to the culture and history of Vanuatu. There are often live demonstrations of sand drawing. 1000 VT. 2 Evergreen Cascades Waterfall (Mele Cascades) (10 kilometres outside Port Vila). Stands at a height of 35 metres and is famous for its natural pools that make it perfect spots for swimming. There are independent guided tours that lead to the cascades. 3 Hideaway Island (Mele Island). A small resort islet known as Hideaway Island. Offers snorkeling and glass bottom boat tours. 24/7 ferry service from Mele Pier, next to the Beach Bar.
Beaches in Vanuatu are always private. Resorts limit access to guests only, although some island resorts like Erakor and Hideaway offer day passes in the 2000 VT range. 1 Honeymoon Beach. Pretty beach at the far end of the Pango peninsula. Decent snorkelling at a coral reef just offshore, but exposed to ocean waves at high tide. Basic showers, toilets and changing rooms. Bring reef shoes, food and water. Adult 500 VT, child 250 VT. (updated Jul 2025) Scuba diving is one of Vanuatu's main draws and there are a number of operators in Port Vila, as well as the country's only hyperbaric chamber. 2 Big Blue Vanuatu, ☏ +678 27518. One of Vanuatu's largest and best-regarded dive shops.
Budget options for eating out are thin on the ground. Look for local Vanuatu dishes like laplap or tuluk at the markets, or self-cater at a supermarket. 1 Family Restaurant, Rue Bretagne. Tu-Su 10:00-21:00. Hunanese home cooking by Chinese for Chinese that doesn't pull its punches on the chillies. Try the braised hongshao pork belly (Chairman Mao's favorite dish), the steamed fresh snapper or the daily rice bowls. Cash only. From 1300 VT. (updated Jul 2025) 2 Kai Vanua (in Regenerative Vanua compound, Numbatri). M-F 09:00-20:00.
Like everywhere in Vanuatu, the local drink of choice is not alcohol but kava, a mildly narcotic drink made from pounded roots. There are numerous kava bars (nakamal) where you can sample this, see Vanuatu#Drink for a primer on how to indulge. Alcohol is widely available but targets visiting tourists and is priced accordingly. Expect to pay 400-600 VT for a local beer (Tusker), more for anything imported. 1 Beach Bar (Mele Bay), ☏ +678 5601132. Daily 08:30-20:30, later F Sa. Your classic barefoot beachside bar right on the dark volcanic sands of Mele Bay, with cold beer and mediocre pub grub (pizzas, burgers).
Port Vila is generally a safe place. However, opportunistic theft is a concern and walking around Port Vila at night is best avoided, especially on Fridays and Saturdays.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
Top-rated tours and tickets from €57 — book ahead for the popular ones.
Tours and tickets provided by Viator (a Tripadvisor company). Some links earn Stayonomy a commission.
In Aug, Port Vila typically sees ~27°C daytime highs and 12 rainy days.
Cheapest destinations travellers searched recently — refreshed daily.
Flight prices are real fares travellers found in the last 48 hours, refreshed daily — the booking site confirms the final price. Train, bus and ferry fares are shown on the operators' booking sites. Weather data by Open-Meteo; exchange rates: ECB reference. Data updated 2026-08-20. Some links earn Stayonomy a commission at no cost to you.
stayonomy