BARRIER BEACH RESORT
East Coast Beaches, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu

OUR Thoughts on Barrier Beach Resort
Originally built next door to each other as two tiny separate resorts (originall each had 6 rooms), over recent times, the former Moyyan House and Barrier Beach House resorts have been seamlessly amalgamated and extended to form one exclusive little resort with 17 accommodation units. The result is a “new” spectacular, high quality property, incorporating  a wide range of facilities and services and fronting a superb beach on a delightful bay.
 
We have visited this lovely area many times over recent years and every time we see it the more we are impressed with the whole place; the standard of the rooms, the food and wine on offer, the spa, the superb location and the friendliness of all the staff. 

In the context of a small resort on a major outer island of Vanuatu, Barrier Beach Resort is intimate and tropically elegant. The rooms are crisp and clean and so relaxing with modern, polished timber floors, banks of polished wood louvres, white painted walls and white cathedral ceilings contrasting with the timber shutters and floors and modern furnishings.  Interiors flow almost seamlessly out to well-sized, furnished decks, (many with a giant hammock).  Bathrooms are gleaming and fresh with a nice walk-through shower. Some farés are not air-conditioned, but air-conditioning is not really required in these as the walls of louvre windows assist flow-through ventilation, the beautiful big trees provide a shady canopy above and the ceiling fans assist the movement of air around the roomy interiors when the sea breezes drop away. Please refer to “Room Categories” below for full details of cooling in each accommodation type.

There’s a total feeling of wellbeing about Barrier Beach Resort. This feeling flows from the mostly deserted beach and bay which is bordered by the hushed tropical forest, through the beautiful trees and gardens surrounding and shading the resort and is complemented by the layout and high standard of the central facility, the farés and their decks. The intimate Moyyan Day Spa and the super beachfront restaurant terrace facing the bay all add to the laid-back quality ambience of a stay at Barrier Beach. 

Depending on your holiday needs, you can be as active or inactive as you please.  The location is central to most of the attractions of Santo and Barrier Beach retains a very good group of local operators they work with to provide their guests with guided excursions all over Santo to enable guests experience and enjoy these attractions.  Now that the east coast road is sealed all the way between Luganville and Port Olry the ease of travel for visitors (and locals) has improved out of sight. 

To fully appreciate and benefit from a visit to Barrier Beach and Santo, we recommend you give yourself enough time to really relax and get into “Santo Mode”. Because there are no direct flights between Auckland and Santo (it is possible to fly direct into Santo from Brisbane) you will probably use Santo as a side trip add-on to a stay in Port Vila (or any other of the holiday locations on Efate) and that’s a good option, but don’t overlook the other option of transiting Port Vila with a night or two in each direction and spending the bulk of your holiday on Santo at Barrier Beach. 

Summing up our thoughts on Barrier Beach Resort – without wishing to overstate it too much, the quiet little cove location and the farés and villas are gorgeous, the restaurant is really lovely too but one of the nicest things about a stay at Barrier Beach is the feeling you get when staying there of being part of something quite special in the context of a Vanuatu experience.

Included in the nightly tariff at Barrier Beach Resort
● Daily Tropical Breakfast
● Arrival and Departure Airport Transfers
● Use of Clear-bottom Double Kayaks
● Use of Snorkelling Equipment
● Use of Paddle Boards
● Use of Bicycles
● Unlimited Wifi
● Daily in-room maid service

What Barrier Beach Resort Say About Themselves:
“Barrier Beach Resort promises a luxurious relaxed atmosphere to use as a base for exploring the many delights that Santo has to offer.

Spacious Beachfront Fares’ and Villa’s look out over the sea, where offshore islands and a coral reef create a natural barrier to the ocean.

Garden Fares’ each with private plunge pool, provide an intimate private setting.

Sundecks stretch over the sand and provide plenty of places to take in the view, relax in the sun or leave your towels while enjoying year-round swimming.

We believe that true world-class status is only achieved when a resort combines the traditions of its host community with exceptional service, a luxury product & incredible attention to detail. This distinction has elevated the Resort into the upper echelon of destinations for sophisticated travellers around the world.”

Your Accommodation Options
All 17 accommodation units (farés and suites) at Barrier Beach are well-priced for the standard offered.  While there is no doubt that the ocean front and beachfront farés are superbly located amongst the mature tropical trees giving guests ocean or beach views, those units located in the garden area are also lovely in their slightly more secluded location within the tropical garden. The Luxury Garden Farés and the Beachfront Executive Suites come with a private plunge pool. No matter which accommodation type you choose, you can be assured of a perfectly restful holiday in beautiful natural surroundings.
Not every unit is air-conditioned, so we have shown those which are air-conditioned and those which are not in the individual room category descriptions.

Those units which are described as "Farés" are open plan with lounge furniture and bed on the same level.  Those units described as "Suites" are also open-plan but have a defined lounge area, usually up 2 steps from the sleeping area and the ensuite bathroom.

Every unit includes the following facilities & Services:
● Private Deck 
● Tea and Coffee Facilities
● Movie Library
● Bar Fridge and Mini Bar
● Ceiling Fan/s 
● Hair Dryer
● Reading Library
● Beach Towels
● Daily Housekeeping Service
● In-room Safe

Room Categories (In ascending order of tariff)
Garden Faré:
A private and spacious modern Fare set in a garden oasis with large deck for relaxing at the end of the day.
Maximum Occupancy: 2 Adults
Existing Bedding: 1 King Bed.
Additional Bedding: No additional bedding accommodated.

Garden Suite:
Seaview Garden Suite
Our Seaview Garden Suite and Garden Suite are spacious and well appointed with large private decks set in Tropical Gardens.
Air-conditioned. 32m² fare with a 22m² deck.
Ensuite bathroom with shower.
The Garden Suite is airconditioned. 
Maximum Occupancy: 2 Adults
Existing Bedding: 1 King Bed.
Additional Bedding: No additional bedding accommodated.

 Beachfront Farés:
From your Beachfront Faré step right off the deck on to the sand.
Beachfront Fares are not air-conditioned but are located beneath the ancient trees on the beach and feature excellent natural flow-through ventilation. 30m² Farés with varying sized decks (but all are a good size).
Ensuite bathroom with shower.
Maximum Occupancy: 2 Adults
Existing Bedding: 1 King Bed.
Additional Bedding: No additional bedding accommodated.

 Beachfront Suite:
The Beachfront Suite with Private Deck and fantastic ocean views is right on the beach with quality furnishings. Step down on to perfect white sand and perfect azure waters.
Maximum Occupancy: 2 Adults
Existing Bedding: 1 King Bed.
Additional Bedding: No additional bedding accommodated.

 Luxury Beachfront Farés:
From your Beachfront Faré step right off the deck on to the sand.
Air-conditioned and more spacious with a bigger bathroom.
35m² Farés with varying sized decks (but all are a good size).
Ensuite bathroom with shower.
Maximum Occupancy: 2 Adults
Existing Bedding: 1 King Bed. In two Luxury Beachfront Farés there is the option of 2 Single Beds.
Additional Bedding: No additional bedding accommodated.

 Luxury Garden Farés with Plunge Pool:
Air-conditioned.  41m² with 42m² deck. A private garden oasis offering a large wrap-around furnished veranda deck containing a private plunge pool.
Ensuite bathroom with shower.
Maximum Occupancy: 3 Adults
Existing Bedding: 1 King Bed plus One Single Bed.
Additional Bedding: No additional bedding accommodated

 Beachfront Executive Suites with Plunge Pool:
Air-conditioned, 47m² with 42m² decking.  Located close to the high-water mark at the base of a 450-plus year-old tree at the most private end of the resort beach.  Large decks with a private plunge pool, give direct access to the sand and the water. Ensuite bathroom with shower.
Maximum Occupancy: 2 Adults
Existing Bedding: 1 King Bed.
Additional Bedding: No additional bedding accommodated.

 Beachfront Superior Suite:
The Superior Suite offers a breathtaking view of sparkling azure waters and white sand beach. It has a spacious interior of 76 square meters of modern, luxury and quality throughout. With individual living area, bedroom area and a raised freestanding bath and separate en-suite.
Maximum Occupancy: 2 Adults
Existing Bedding: 1 King Bed.
Additional Bedding: No additional bedding accommodated.

Getting to and from Barrier Beach Resort
Barrier Beach Resort is perfectly located for a holiday on Santo - right on the coast and only approximately 15 minutes by car on a sealed road from Luganville Town, 20 minutes from Santo’s Pekoa Airport and 15 minutes from some of Santo’s amazing Blue Holes and the great kayaking to be had on the nearby Matevulu and Ri Ri Rivers. The tariff at Barrier Beach includes airport pick-up and drop-off.  It is easy to rent a vehicle to explore Santo on your own, but we would recommend you consider taking tours with a local operator to get the most out your stay.  The Tour Desk people at Barrier Beach are very helpful and knowledgeable on all Santo’s many attractions including the Blue Holes, WW11 relics sites, Port Olry, Lonnock Beach and Champagne Beach, as well as the many dive operators and dive sites available.

The complimentary-use mountain bikes at the resort are also a great way to get around.

Note re Vanuatu Domestic Air Travel Tax
Domestic flights between Port Vila, Santo and Tanna, as well as all other islands in Vanuatu attract a domestic tax of VT200 (approximately NZ$3.00) per person per sector.  Unfortunately, this tax cannot be prepaid, so is payable direct by travellers at domestic airports in Vanuatu.

Kids Policy
Barrier Beach Resort is an adults-only resort which caters for guests aged 15 years and over. 

Check-in/Check Out
Official check-in and checkout times:
Check-in: 2:00pm
Check-out: 10:00am 
Free late check out and early check in subject to availability.
In reality, check in/out is dictated by arriving and departing flight times. Sometimes guests need to vacate their rooms by 10:00am due to the need to get accommodation ready for another arrival, often the resort managers can offer a room to shower and change in before guests leave for the airport, but this is always subject to the occupancy circumstances on guests’ departure day.

The information on this page is correct as at 13 April 2023 and is based on our supplier contracts which are valid for stays to 31 March 2024. All information shown is subject to change without notice.