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The islands and waters of Marovo Lagoon

434 · The Wider World

Marovo Lagoon

An extensive lagoon and island landscape is also a lived environment with important local knowledge and customary connections.

PhotographXplore Dive from Mooloolaba, Australia · CC BY 2.0

Summary

Marovo Lagoon is a large lagoon and island landscape in the Solomon Islands, enclosed by a double barrier system. Marine habitats and communities occupy a waterscape sustained by detailed local knowledge.

The wonder is the intricate relationship between people and water. Channels, islands and reefs form a lived environment, giving the broad blue-and-green views meaning beyond their appearance.

401–500 · The Wider World

The essentials

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Allow time

6 days as an initial allowance, excluding approach travel

Choose a base

A verified Marovo Lagoon lodge or community base

Getting there

Arrange a domestic connection to Seghe, then a host-organised boat transfer to your Marovo Lagoon accommodation.

Plan ahead

Confirm the flight, boat pickup, meals and excursions together. Leave a buffer before the international return from Honiara.

Practical notes updated 30 September 2026. Visitor information and sources

Solomon Islands · Nature
Country guidesSolomon Islands
Open my 100Record a visit

The essential experience.

A detail that changes the visit

Plan boats, weather margins and community permissions before arrival; isolated islands have limited backup services.

Uepi Island in the Solomon Islands
Uepi, Western Province, Solomon Islands, 2012Photo: Yvonne Green/DFAT · CC BY 2.0

For the curious reader

History, landscape and context.

Marovo Lagoon is the largest double-barrier enclosed lagoon in the world. Located in the New Georgia Islands, Western Province, Solomon Islands, between Vangunu and Nggatokae islands, both extinct volcanic islands, at 8.48°S 158.07°E / -8.48; 158.7. It covers 700 km² (270 square miles) and is protected by a double barrier reef system.

Abridged background from Marovo Lagoon, by Wikipedia contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Paragraphs have been selected and shortened; this adapted background remains under the same licence. Retrieved 23 September 2026. Source revision.

The landscape seen from Marovo Lagoon
Looking back from Marovo LagoonPhoto: Xplore Dive from Mooloolaba, Australia · CC BY 2.0
The coastline of Uepi Island
Uepi, Western Province, Solomon Islands, 2012. Photo: Yvonne Green / DFATPhoto: Yvonne Green/DFAT · CC BY 2.0

From inspiration to a practical plan

Plan your visit.

Physical demands
Small-boat boarding, village paths and swimming or diving depending on the chosen outing.
The consequential detail
Plan boats, weather margins and community permissions before arrival; isolated islands have limited backup services.
Add to my travel workbenchResearch access requirements

Through the seasons

A place in the world.

Solomon Islands.

A place in the world
Marovo Lagoon location mapMarovo Lagoon location map

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Map: Natural Earth
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In pictures.

Marovo’s lagoon channels and forested islands form a lived landscape of local knowledge.

The islands and waters of Marovo LagoonPhoto: Xplore Dive from Mooloolaba, Australia, CC BY 2.0
The landscape seen from Marovo LagoonPhoto: Xplore Dive from Mooloolaba, Australia, CC BY 2.0
Uepi Island in the Solomon IslandsPhoto: Yvonne Green/DFAT, CC BY 2.0
The coastline of Uepi IslandPhoto: Yvonne Green/DFAT, CC BY 2.0
The Solomon Islands seen from the International Space StationPhoto: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Centre, Public domain
Batuna Solomon IslandsPhoto: Graeme Bartlett, CC BY-SA 3.0
Archive photograph: inter-island transport in Marovo Lagoon, 1992Photo: Paul Stein from New Jersey, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
Reef south east of Mbuinitusu (Solomon Islands), called Mindeminde Islands; East of New GeorgiaPhoto: Graeme Bartlett, CC BY-SA 3.0
Open the complete galleryDiscover the world in photographs

Follow the connection

Keep exploring.

Explore more places in the same country.

The landscape of East Rennell in the Solomon Islands

426 · Solomon Islands

East Rennell

A raised coral island and large lake form a distinctive ecological and inhabited landscape in the Pacific.

Useful links and further reading.

Choose a source for the job: official visitor information for access, the UNESCO record for the named property’s designation, and background or library resources for deeper reading.

Read · Wikipedia

Marovo Lagoon: background reading

Encyclopaedic context and its bibliography. Follow the cited research for a deeper examination of particular claims.

External resource. Check the provider for access and current arrangements.

Visit · Wikivoyage

Find travel information for Marovo Lagoon

A clearly labelled search of the community travel guide; check the page’s coverage and the age of practical details.

External resource. Check the provider for access and current arrangements.

Books · WorldCat

Find books about Marovo Lagoon

Search library holdings and editions, useful for finding specialist histories, field guides and works beyond a general travel guide.

External resource. Check the provider for access and current arrangements.

Photography · Wikimedia Commons

Find photographs of Marovo Lagoon

Explore further photographs and their individual credits.

External resource. Check the provider for access and current arrangements.

Maps · OpenStreetMap

Explore the local map

Inspect the surrounding area.

External resource. Check the provider for access and current arrangements.
Visitor information behind these practical notes