Shortland Island Island

Shortland Island is one of the principal islands in the Shortland Islands chain in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. It is a populated island with coastal villages and traditional land use.

Visitors encounter coastal villages, mangrove and beach environments, and local maritime activity rather than developed tourism infrastructure. The islands offer opportunities for boat travel, local cultural contact and observation of Pacific island coastal ecosystems.

The Shortland Islands were strategically significant during the Second World War and saw occupation and military activity in the Pacific campaign; after the war they reverted to local administration and traditional lifeways continued.

Shortland Island sits in the western Solomon Islands, close to the international water separating the Solomons from Bougainville (Papua New Guinea), and is part of the country’s Western Province archipelago.

• Archipelago note: Part of the Shortland Islands group in the Western Province, the island lies close to the border with Papua New Guinea’s Bougainville and is accessible by local boat services.

Shortland Island is reached by boat from larger provincial centers in the Solomon Islands. The nearest major air connection is to regional hubs, after which local boat transfer arrangements are required.

• Plan for inter-island connections by local boat - schedules can be irregular and weather-dependent.
• Bring mosquito protection and basic medical supplies; small islands have limited health services.
• Respect local village rules and any customary practices related to landing and camping.