Aore Island, Vanuatu – Beaches, Day Trips & Island Life

Welcome to Aore Island

Just across the sparkling Segond Channel from Luganville, Espiritu Santo, lies Aore Island — a peaceful tropical escape where beautiful beaches, traditional island life and natural beauty come together. Aore Island has a rich history shaped by generations of Ni-Vanuatu families, traditional village life, coconut plantations and cocoa farming. During World War II, the island and surrounding waters also formed part of the wider Allied military activity centred around Espiritu Santo. Today, Aore Island remains a wonderful mix of local communities, working plantations, secluded beaches and small island retreats.

Discover Aore Island Your Way

Day Trips & Island Experiences

You don't have to stay overnight to enjoy Aore Island. Take a short boat trip from Santo and spend the day swimming, snorkelling, exploring plantations, discovering local food or simply relaxing on a tropical beach. Keep an eye out for wild dugongs and sea turtles in the surrounding waters.

Accommodation & Island Stays

Want to stay a little longer? Aore Island offers everything from beachfront bungalows and secluded treehouses to peaceful island resorts. Wake to the sounds of nature, enjoy quiet beaches and experience a slower pace of life.

Things to See & Do

Explore cocoa and vanilla plantations, discover local traditions, enjoy guided island experiences, visit historical sites or spend your days swimming and snorkelling in clear tropical waters.

Getting to Aore Island

Aore Island is easily reached by boat from Luganville on Espiritu Santo. Scheduled transfers and private boat taxis are available, making the island accessible for both day visitors and overnight guests.

Wildlife & Natural Beauty

Aore Island's sheltered coastline and seagrass habitats attract marine life, including dugongs and sea turtles. The island is also home to tropical gardens, coconut palms, working farms and beautiful coastal scenery.

Plan Your Visit

Whether you're visiting Aore Island for a few hours or a few nights, Vanuatu Island can help you discover local experiences, accommodation, boat transfers and practical travel information.

Things to Do on Aore Island

Day Tours

Discover Aore Island with local guides, beautiful beaches, swimming, snorkelling and authentic island experiences. Our weekday day tours are a wonderful way to explore this tropical paradise, just a short boat ride from Luganville, Espiritu Santo. Enquire about availability and boat transfers.

Snorkelling

The waters around Aore Island are known for clear tropical conditions and marine life.

Visitors can snorkel from selected beaches and waterfront areas around the island.

Swimming

Aore has calm coastal areas where visitors can swim and relax in warm tropical water.

Look for Dugongs and Turtles

Dugongs and sea turtles are found around parts of northern Vanuatu, including waters surrounding Aore and Espiritu Santo.

Sightings are never guaranteed, but they are one of the reasons travellers enjoy exploring the coastline.

Explore Local Plantations

Aore Island has a long agricultural history.

Visitors may see tropical crops including cocoa, vanilla, pepper, coconut and other produce grown in the island’s fertile soil.

Visit Espiritu Santo

One of the biggest advantages of staying on Aore is the ability to combine island accommodation with Santo sightseeing.

Popular Santo experiences include:

• Blue holes
• Champagne Beach
• Million Dollar Point
• Local markets
  

What Makes Aore Island Different?

Aore Island is different partly because of what it doesn’t have. There are no shopping centers, no traffic lights and no constant stream of cars. You arrive by boat, there are no shops around the corner, and island life still moves around the rhythms of family, community, church and the sea

Saturdays are traditionally Sabbath for many families, while Sundays are also quiet family and church days  a reminder that not everywhere needs to operate seven days a week.

That’s part of the appeal. Aore isn’t trying to recreate the holiday you could have anywhere else. It offers something increasingly difficult to find: peace, space and an authentic connection with local life.

Swim, snorkel, explore the plantation, meet local families, learn about island food and culture, or simply spend an afternoon together without somewhere else you need to be. Sometimes having less around you gives you considerably more.

Aore Island Accomodation

Many travellers search online for Aore Resorts when researching Aore Island. Aores Resorts is one accommodation option on the island, but it is not the only way to stay on Aore. Visitors can also choose private beachfront accommodation, holiday homes and locally operated island stays. If you are comparing Aore's Resorts style Accommodation, Santo hotels and private Aore Island accommodation, consider what type of experience you want:

• Private beachfront accommodation
• Self-contained accommodation
• Authetic quiet island living
• Easy access to Santo
• Resort facilities

Longer stays:

Aore Island has several styles of accommodation, from resort stays to private holiday homes and island houses. Stay Somewhere Different on Aore Island Aore Island has a range of accommodation, including many Western-style waterfront homes. For something a little different, Phoenix Plantation offers relaxed island-style stays using local materials such as bamboo walls, combined with modern conveniences.

 Choose from

• Beachfront on Aore:
• Aore Treehouse:
• Aore Plantation House:
• Aore Bush Camp: a simple camp-style base designed for freedivers, fishermen and travelers who want to spend their days exploring.
  

Where is Aore Island Northern Vanuatu

Aore Island sits directly opposite Luganville, Espiritu Santo, in northern Vanuatu. The island is reached by boat from Santo, making it possible to stay on a peaceful tropical island while remaining close to town.



Many visitors choose Aore because they can enjoy both:

• Island beaches and tropical surroundings
• Easy access to Luganville
• Snorkelling and swimming
• Local plantations and village life
• Day trips around Espiritu Santo
• A quieter alternative to staying in Luganville town
  

A Little History of Aore Island

Aore Island has a fascinating history, from traditional Ni-Vanuatu communities to working coconut, cocoa and coffee plantations. During the 1800s, Vanuatu was also affected by blackbirding, when Pacific Islanders were recruited, deceived or forcibly taken to work on plantations in Australia.

During World War II, Aore became an important part of the American naval base at Espiritu Santo. The island housed ammunition stores, fuel facilities and a popular US Navy recreation centre where servicemen came to swim, play sport and relax.

Aore has long attracted visitors seeking a peaceful island escape. In the 1990s, developer Chris Hutchins helped shape its modern tourism and residential development, with ambitious plans for resorts, a marina and a golf course.

Today, Aore Island remains a wonderful blend of traditional village life, working plantations, historical sites, private homes and small tourism businesses — all just a short boat ride from Luganville.

Life on Aore Island Today

Aore Island is home to a small community of Ni-Vanuatu families and expatriate residents, including Australians and other nationalities. With an estimated population of over 500 people, the island retains its peaceful character, with local villages, working plantations, private homes and tourism businesses. Aore Island covers approximately 58 square kilometres, making it around four times the size of Hamilton Island in Queensland's Whitsundays — but with a much quieter, more traditional island atmosphere.

Want to know more about Aore Island? Visit our Help & Travel Information section, where you'll find hundreds of articles covering Aore Island, living in Vanuatu, buying property, getting around and planning your visit.

See you in Vanuatu Alaye!