Beaches and snorkelling
White-sand beaches ring the islet, and the surrounding waters are a protected marine sanctuary with coral close to shore for snorkelling and kayaking.
Mystery Island, Vanuatu
Mystery Island, known locally as Inyeug ("small island"), is a tiny uninhabited islet about half a mile off Aneityum, the southernmost inhabited island of Vanuatu in Tafea Province. More about Mystery Island →
credit
Ship schedule by month
October 2026 · from today · all times local (Vanuatu Standard Time)
ShipDateArrivalDeparture
Showing 3 of 3 calls in October
Cruise Ships in Mystery Island
Today and the next 7 days · all times local (Vanuatu Standard Time)
Today · Fri 23 OctTypical
3,736 people in port
1 ship · ships alongside 08:00 – 17:00
About as busy as a typical day in Mystery Island. Busiest 08:00 – 17:00, when 1 ship is alongside.
Next 7 days
Quietest: Fri 23 Oct · busiest: Mon 26 Oct- Fri23 Oct3.7kTypical1 ship
- Sat24 Oct–No ships0 ships
- Sun25 Oct–No ships0 ships
- Mon26 Oct5.7kPeak1 ship
- Tue27 Oct–No ships0 ships
- Wed28 Oct3.8kTypical1 ship
- Thu29 Oct–No ships0 ships
Thousands of people in port, guests plus crew. Crowd level compared with a typical Mystery Island day.
Planning a day in Mystery Island?
The crowd calendar shows every ship and how busy the port is, hour by hour, plus the quietest and busiest days for the next 90 days.
Where is the Mystery Island cruise port?
Ships anchor offshore in the sheltered bay between Mystery Island (Inyeug) and Aneityum, and passengers tender a few minutes to a small jetty on the islet, built in 2016 to take about four tenders at once. There is no terminal building: toilets, an information point, gear rental, market stalls and activity meeting points are set up near the jetty on cruise days. The whole islet can be walked around in about 40 minutes; Aneityum is about 10 minutes away by local boat.
Cruise port
Getting to the Mystery Island cruise port
Anelcauhat, Aneityum → Mystery Island tender jetty
Local boats cross the channel to Aneityum in about 10 minutes; there is no road link.
Typical prices, approximate. Fares change with demand, traffic and time of day.
TransportTypical priceJourneyGood to know
Local boat across the channel
Variesper person
Varies
Run by Aneityum villagers on cruise days; village tours that include the boat are booked through the ship.
Typical prices, approximate. Fares change with demand, traffic and time of day.
Driving to the port
There are no roads or vehicles on the island; all of it is walkable from the tender jetty. Stand-up paddleboard hire is about AUD 25 per 30 minutes.
Eating in Mystery Island
Informal food and drink stalls are run by Aneityum villagers on cruise days. Vendors take Australian dollars (AUD), and payment is cash only.
Destination
About Mystery Island
Mystery Island, known locally as Inyeug ("small island"), is a tiny uninhabited islet about half a mile off Aneityum, the southernmost inhabited island of Vanuatu in Tafea Province. It has white-sand beaches, palm trees and fringing coral reef in a protected marine sanctuary, and no roads, vehicles, electricity or permanent residents. The grass strip of a World War II Allied airstrip still crosses the island.
Its English name dates from Queen Elizabeth II's 1974 visit, when a reporter's headline turned the local name into "Mystery Island". On cruise days villagers from Aneityum cross the channel to run a market, food stalls and activities. It is a regular stop on South Pacific cruises from Australia.
- Time zone
- Vanuatu Standard Time
- Currency
- AUD
Things to Do in Mystery Island
Island walk
A path circles the uninhabited islet in about 40 minutes, passing the beaches and the grass strip of the former World War II airstrip.
Cruise-day market
Villagers from Aneityum set up stalls near the jetty selling handicrafts, coconut oil, kava, fruit and snacks; cash only; most vendors take AUD.
Aneityum village visit
Local boats and tours cross the channel to the larger island of Aneityum for a cultural village visit, about 10 minutes away by boat.