Luganville
Vanuatu’s second-largest town and one of the largest US rear bases during World War II. Wide main street lined with Quonset huts.
Luganville lies on the southeast coast of Espiritu Santo, with a population of about 18,000. It is the island’s only town and its transport hub. During World War II, it served as the US Army’s second-largest rear base, with up to 100,000 troops stationed here at one point. The main street today was built as a wide road for military trucks, and you can still see half-round corrugated-iron Quonset huts, an old wharf and airfield ruins along the way. The town has a market, Chinese-run shops, restaurants and dive shops. Across the Segond Channel is Aore Island. You can explore on foot or by bike in one to two hours. Note that most shops close on Sundays, and there is little street lighting at night.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Luganville Market
- SS President Coolidge Wreck
- Aore Island
- Million Dollar Point
- Palikulo Bay & Bomber One
- Bokissa Island
- Fanafo Village
- Matevulu & Espiritu Santo Blue Holes