Getting to Aore Island is easy

Getting to Aore Island is easy and part of everyday life. Hundreds of people cross between Santo and Aore by boat, with no need to bring a car. Once on Aore, you can continue by road, bicycle or on foot, depending on where you’re staying. Distances are short, and boat transport is simply part of island life.Aore Island has no street names or formal suburbs, so local plantation and area names are commonly used to describe locations.

Transfer drop off and pickup Aore Island

1. Public Beach Landing (Aore Ferry) - from Santo, the boat crossing takes approximately 5 minutes. (2km by boat) Visitors staying elsewhere on Aore Island can also can travel to Phoenix Plantation for tours and activities or to the areas holiday homes.
2. Phoenix Plantation -  is an area on the eastern side of Aore Island, across the from Luganville, Espiritu Santo. 4.5km from Santo Island. It is home to authentic holiday stays (Beachfront on Aore, Aore tree House and Aore Bush Camp) and is also the departure point for Aore Island tours.
3. Michel Beach – Located on the southern eastern side of Aore Island, around 8 km by road from the northern end, including approximately 5 km of rough dirt road. The area has Western-style homes and western style holiday rentals along the coastline.
4. North Aore Island – A more established part of the island, with small resorts, Western-style homes and holiday rentals positioned along the Segond Channel, creating a more developed western residential feel.New Title

Where to Leave From in Santo

There are two main departure points in Luganville for boats to Aore Island:

1. Aore Ferry Café – formerly Smugglers Restaurant
   This is the departure point for our Aore Island tours and pre-booked boat transfers. Tell your taxi driver “Aore Ferry Café, formerly Smugglers Restaurant.”
2. Santo Hardware Wharf
   For general boat taxis to Aore Island, Santo Hardware Wharf is another common departure point. Independent boat taxis operate from here and can take passengers to different parts of Aore Island.

Tip: If you are joining one of our tours, use the Aore Ferry Café departure point unless we advise otherwise.

Aore Island Taxi & Local Transport

Getting around Aore Island is part of the island experience. Our island taxis are local farm trucks and utility vehicles, not traditional taxis. They provide practical transport between accommodation, beaches, villages and other locations around the island.

How to Book

There are two easy ways to arrange an island taxi:

1. Book online through our website before your trip.
2. Ask your accommodation host to arrange one while you're on Aore Island.

Island taxis operate by pre-arrangement only, so we recommend booking ahead rather than expecting a taxi to be available on demand.

Getting to Santo from Australia

There are two easy ways to reach Espiritu Santo from Australia: fly directly to Santo, or travel via Port Vila.

As of August 2026, Solomon Airlines operates direct Brisbane–Santo flights twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is the simplest option when the flight days suit your itinerary.

Alternatively, fly into Port Vila and connect onwards to Santo. Going via Vila gives travellers more flexibility when choosing travel dates and can be a good option if the direct Santo schedule doesn't suit.

Many visitors choose to spend a night in Port Vila before continuing to Santo. With more international flight options into Vila, the total trip cost can sometimes work out similarly to flying direct, depending on your dates and fares.

Once you arrive in Santo, Aore Island is only a short drive and approximately 10-minute boat ride from Luganville.

Tip: Compare both Brisbane → Santo (SON) and Brisbane → Port Vila (VLI) → Santo before booking. The best option often depends more on your travel dates than the airfare itself.

FAQs How to get to Aore Island