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Efate - Black Sand Beach, Vanuatu

Stay in Port Vila: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Port Vila

All 14 on Port Vila's map

Watch this spot We email you when Efate - Black Sand Beach is worth the trip.

Port Vila aerial
Port Vila, the nearest town, 5 km away. Photo: Phillip Capper from Wellington, New Zealand, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Efate - Black Sand Beach

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces SW (229°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (49°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 10). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 26°C in July, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in January, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Port Vila, 4.6 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 dive sites.

Water about 27°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 31 h 10 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. 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 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 25 min from the airport to Efate - Black Sand Beach.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Port VilaAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Port Vila · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Port Vila · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Efate - Black Sand Beach on Google Maps · Directions

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

Efate - Black Sand Beach does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.

The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreExpertSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct215 ft7 shollow165kJ26°C
Mon 19Oct214 ft7 shollow167kJ26°C
Tue 20Oct224 ft8 shollow201kJ27°C
Wed 21Oct194 ft7 shollow155kJ25°C
Thu 22Oct174 ft7 shollow141kJ26°C
Fri 23Oct164 ft7 shollow133kJ28°C
Sat 24Oct174 ft7 shollow133kJ28°C
Sun 25Oct184 ft7 shollow125kJ27°C
Mon 26Oct184 ft7 shollow120kJ28°C
Tue 27Oct164 ft6 shollow88kJ29°C
Wed 28Oct163 ft6 shollow62kJ25°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 expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly MDW to VLI, changing at DFW and AKL, then 25 min by road. About 31h 10 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 5 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to VLI, changing at DFW and AKL, then 25 min by road. About 31h 10 door to door

The plan picks the best of 6 spots near Port Vila each day: Efate - Black Sand Beach, Efate - Breakas, Efate - Pounders, Efate - Tapi Point, Efate - Teouma Bay, Resorts.

The trip from Port Vila, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,135–£2,220 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn 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 airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£15–£25
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£165–£280
Food7 days eating out£155–£290
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£65–£105
Total£1,135–£2,220

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Port Vila

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.