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Atlas/oceania-pacific/Deep field file

Signal verified · updated 2026-09-03

Upolu

Samoa's vibrant main island — Apia, Stevenson's Vailima, To Sua Trench and surf-ringed volcanic coasts.

13.917° S171.750° W
site access marine
Faleolo International Airport (APW)
To Sua Ocean Trench
Robert Louis Stevenson Museum, Vailima
Papase'ea Sliding Rocks
Formation
massive basaltic shield volcano rising from the Pacific seafloor; 75 km long
Population
143,418
Water
Pacific Ocean
Access
easy

Every required movement

The passage
to Upolu.

Fly to Faleolo International (APW) at Upolu's western end; Samoa Shipping Corporation ferries run Mulifanua–Salelologa to Savai'i.

  1. 01
    Faleolo International Airport (APW)

    Nearest recorded air access

    Schedule or condition may change · verify
  2. 02
    Water crossing

    Samoa Shipping Corporation vehicle/passenger ferries Mulifanua (Upolu)–Salelologa (Savai'i), ~1 hour.

    Schedule or condition may change · verify
  3. 03
    Entry check

    60-day visitor permit on arrival for most nationalities.

    Schedule or condition may change · verify

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What the chart cannot hold

What becomes visible when you follow apia beyond the familiar map?

Upolu packs Samoa's capital, its international airport and most of its people onto a 75 km shield-volcano island. Apia's waterfront markets and colonial courthouse sit below Mount Vaea, where Robert Louis Stevenson is buried above his Vailima home. Day trips reach the To Sua Ocean Trench swimming hole, Papase'ea Sliding Rocks and the white-sand southeast coast.

Lapita settlement ~1000 BCE; German Samoa 1900–1914; New Zealand mandate/trusteeship 1914–1962 (Mau movement); independent since 1962 — the first Pacific island state.

Field ledger

The useful
details.

Coordinates
13.92° S · 171.75° W
Sovereignty
Samoa · part of country
Nearest mainland
Savai'i (~20 km west across Apolima Strait); American Samoa (Tutuila) ~110 km east
Best recorded window
May–October (drier, cooler; best surf June–September).
Permits / entry
60-day visitor permit on arrival for most nationalities.
Languages
Samoan, English

Community intelligence

Notes from
the crossing.

Share firsthand conditions, access changes, respectful observations, or a question for someone who has been.

No traveler has left a public note here yet.

The empty ledger is part of the mystery—and an invitation to be useful.

Travel information changes quickly. This field file was last revised 2026-09-03. Confirm all transport and permit details before booking.

Official source