Espiritu Santo is Vanuatu's 'Big Island', lush green rain forest, valleys and rivers, idyllic beaches and reefs and, like almost everywhere else in Vanuatu, is steeped in history, tradition and culture. Evidence of settlement dates back to 1400 BC. The Portuguese explorer de Quiros sighted the island in 1606 naming it Terra Australis del Espiritu Santo.

At the southern coast of Espiritu Santo is the port town of Luganville on the edge of the Segond Channel which separates Espiritu Santo's south coast from the island of Aore.

The course of the Espiritu Santo Aore Swim runs from Unity Park in Luganville across the Segond Channel to Aore Resort Beach.

The Channel was an important WWII anchorage and staging point for the American push on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, with Luganville transforming in a few short months from a sleepy one street, two store village to a bustling base housing 40,000 troops, four airfields, cinemas, hospitals & wharves carved out of the bush.

The Eastern end of the Channel is home to the President Coolidge, now one of the most famous dive sites in the world. The Coolidge was sunk after hitting a friendly” mine. Miraculously, all but 2 of the more than 5,000 troops and crew on board were able to escape the sinking ship after the Captain had the presence of mind to run it up onto the reef, before it finally slipped into deeper water and sank.

Modern day Espiritu Santo is one of those slightly off-the-beaten-tourist-track places that is full of surprises and interesting “discoveries”, from the adventure of Millennium Caves, exploring the famous Blue Holes, Champagne Beach, the cultural experiences of Vil Vil Village to the gourmet delights of Oyster Island, plus, some of the world's nicest places to stay and just relax.