Mele Cascades

Mele Cascades are located a 15 minutes drive from Port Vila – the capital of Vanuatu, not far from the road. This is a popular tourist attraction with a marked trail and a wide offer of tourist business including an abseil down the falls. There should be paid entrance fee to access the cascades but all visitors agree that it is worth paying. It is advised to come very early or – also in lunchtime because during the day falls might be quite crowded.

Tourist footpath starts below the falls. The water of the stream is blue-green, it contains lots of dissolved lime. The bed of the stream often is layered with tufa deposits. The trail often goes straight through the water. Not many notice it: the edges of tufa terraces are covered with larvae of black flies.

Tufa deposits in many locations have formed smaller cascades with pools and, as one goes ahead, the cascades become taller. Several pools with cool water are well suited to swim and tourists eagerly use this opportunity, especially in warm times. There is a cave behind one of such cascades.

Most impressive is the approximately 45 – 50 m tall upper waterfall which is sliding down a steep rock face. There is beautiful lookout from the top of the falls over the lush green fields and forest of Efate island and the Pacific ocean.

After the earthquake in August 2010 the upper part became unstable.