Tanna - Lenakel, Vanuatu
Watch this spot We email you when Tanna - Lenakel is worth the trip.
About Tanna - Lenakel
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces SW (233°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (53°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–12 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 20). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 25°C in July, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 28°C in January, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually January, with about 3 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Lénakel, 0.7 km away (about 5 min by car).
Water about 26°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.
Book the trip
From Chicago: about 35 h door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to VLI, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL).
See flights MDW → VLI · Skyscanner from about £700 returnAdGetting there. 4 h 15 from the airport to Tanna - Lenakel.
Accommodation.
Stay in LénakelAd
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Lénakel (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Lénakel 1 min by car · rooms from £60 a night · 4 places to stay · where Tanna - Lenakel stays
Places to stay in Lénakel · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Lénakel · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Lénakel · GetYourGuideAd
Budget 
Mid-range 
Luxury Where it is
Tanna - Lenakel on Google Maps · Directions
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Forecast
The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 26, poor | 5 ft9 scrumbling | 388kJ | wind from the south-east, 11 knots | 25°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 38, fair | 4 ft8 smushy | 192kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 9 knots | 25°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 0, too big | 6 ft8 smushy | 370kJ | wind from the east, 8 knots | 25°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 16, poor | 5 ft7 smushy | 282kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 10 knots | 25°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 11, poor | 5 ft7 smushy | 261kJ | offshorewind from the east, 10 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 31, poor | 4 ft8 smushy | 166kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 9 knots | 25°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 45, fair | 4 ft7 smushy | 133kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 9 knots | 26°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 42, fair | 5 ft6 smushy | 173kJ | offshorewind from the east, 6 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 53, good | 4 ft6 smushy | 130kJ | offshorewind from the east, 7 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 55, good | 4 ft6 smushy | 103kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Wed 28Oct | 48, good | 3 ft6 smushy | 78kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 23°C |
Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.
Your trip, day by day
6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Fly MDW to VLI, changing at DFW and AKL, then 4h 15 by road. About 35h door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 33 of 80.
- Thu 22 OctSurf Tanna - Lenakel
Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 5 ft at 7 s, offshore wind.
- Fri 23 OctSurf Tanna - Lenakel
Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 9 kn (17 km/h).
- Sat 24 OctSurf Tanna - Lenakel
Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 4 ft at 7 s, wind 9 kn (16 km/h).
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly MDW to VLI, changing at DFW and AKL, then 4h 15 by road. About 35h door to door
Rough cost
About £1,190–£2,310 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to VLI, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £700–£1,455 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | £70–£115 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £165–£280 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £155–£290 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £65–£105 |
| Total | £1,190–£2,310 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Book the trip
Where to stayAd
Places to stay · Booking.com (ad)Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.