Destinations/Vanuatu/Ratua Private Island
Ratua Private Island Resort
A 146-acre private island off the south coast of Espiritu Santo — antique teak villas, organic garden-to-table food, and never more than 32 guests on the whole island.
Ratua is the quiet end of Vanuatu. The whole island holds a small collection of villas and a maximum of thirty-two guests, so the beaches, the bay and the horses are effectively yours. There is no fixed schedule — only invitations to explore. It sits a short boat ride from Espiritu Santo, the island best known for its blue holes, its wartime history and some of the clearest water in the Pacific.
Antique teak houses, rebuilt on the sand
The villas are genuine antique Indonesian teak houses — some around 200 years old — dismantled, shipped and rebuilt on the island, so no two are quite alike. Hardwood floors, high pitched roofs, four-poster beds under mosquito nets, and a private terrace or your own stretch of beach.
Four kinds of stay: the Courtyard Room (queen plus two singles, sleeps four), the Beachfront Villa (queen, sleeps two), the Two Bedroom Beachfront Villa (queen plus two singles, sleeps four) and the Beachfront Glamping Marquee (king plus two singles, sleeps four). Each one carries a name rather than a number.
Nothing arrives from a commercial supplier
Almost everything you eat at Ratua is grown, raised or caught within about fifty kilometres of your plate — much of it on the island itself. The Yacht Club is the heart of it: a waterfront restaurant and bar with a games room attached, where island roasts, kava tastings and local music turn up through the week rather than running to a timetable.
The Sunny Spa is built out over the water, using organic products, with the sound of the bay underneath you for the whole treatment.
Days shaped by your own rhythm
Most days go on snorkelling, kayaking, paddleboarding, canoeing or swimming in the calm water of Ratua Bay — guests regularly snorkel with turtles on the reef. The island's horses are the thing people remember: ride them along the beach, or take them into the water and swim alongside them.
Beyond the island there are village visits on neighbouring Malo, the blue holes of Espiritu Santo, and the wreck and reef diving that made Santo famous. Ratua is also a genuinely lovely place for a wedding or vow renewal — the twilight pier and the beachfront both work as ceremony settings, and the island can accommodate your guests.
Getting there
Fly into Espiritu Santo's Santo-Pekoa International Airport (SON) — connections run via Port Vila. You're met at the airport and transferred to Luganville wharf, then it's roughly 35 minutes across to Ratua on the resort's own motor launch.
Good to know
Ratua suits travellers who want genuine quiet, space and good food rather than a resort program — couples, families comfortable with a low-key island, and small groups taking several villas. Talk to us about which villa suits your party, what's included in the rate for your travel dates, and how to pair Ratua with a few nights on Espiritu Santo or in Port Vila.
Ready to stay on Ratua?
Tell us your dates and party size and we'll put the whole Vanuatu trip together.