Signal verified · updated 2026-09-03
Upolu
Samoa's vibrant main island — Apia, Stevenson's Vailima, To Sua Trench and surf-ringed volcanic coasts.
- 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.
- 01Faleolo International Airport (APW)
Nearest recorded air access
Schedule or condition may change · verify - 02Water crossing
Samoa Shipping Corporation vehicle/passenger ferries Mulifanua (Upolu)–Salelologa (Savai'i), ~1 hour.
Schedule or condition may change · verify - 03Entry check
60-day visitor permit on arrival for most nationalities.
Schedule or condition may change · verify
Research, then reserve
These searches open a third-party travel service. Some links may earn Lonely Island a referral fee; ranking never depends on commission.
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