Espiritu santo: Attractions and more...
Santo has many places of historical interest—mostly underwater. These relics of World War II are frequented by scuba divers: ‘President Coolidge’, a 30,000-ton liner that sank into the harbour now rests here, structurally perfect, while ‘Million Dollar Point’ is where the US forces dumped surplus war equipment.
The southeastern costal town of Luganville was a military base for about 100, 000 allied soldiers. Today, meshed in its jungles are remnants of the War—Dakotas, Quonset huts, and crashed B17 bombers. It also has four airstrips.
Santo’s pristine beaches, lagoons, and breathtaking ravines are popular among tourists. There are beautiful water holes, like the crystalline Blue Hole, for fresh water cave diving. A popular spot is Champagne Beach, where the sand is pink; the waters, clear. Such is the beauty of this island that it inspired James Michener, stationed here during the War, to pen the legendary ‘Tales of the South Pacific’.
