Tourist Guide Port-Vila
Port-Vila, capital of the independent island republic of Vanuatu, is located
on the southwest coast of the island of Efate and it’s the country’s
economic and commercial centre.
This quiet capital is set within a beautiful natural harbour and it has always
been a port city.
The Melanesian, known as ni-Vanuatu, have populated these islands for centuries.
The first European to visit these islands was the Spanish navigator Fernandes
de Quiros in 1606. The French explorer, Bougainville, arrived almost 160 years
later and in 1774 Captain James Cook charted all the islands and named the archipelago
the New Hebrides. During WW2 the 250,000 American stationed in Vanuatu. The
New Hebrides gained independence in 1980 and was renamed Vanuatu.
Free of skyscrapers, today’s Port-Vila is a great mix of cultures, blending
elements of Melanesian, English, French and Chinese tastes.
Along the main street you can find duty-free shops, restaurants and handicraft
galleries.
The city is provided by an international airport.
