Tufi

Tufi is a coastal village in Oro Province, Papua New Guinea, noted for its fjord-like rias and marine environment. It serves as a local service centre for surrounding villages and as a gateway for diving and cultural tourism.

The shoreline consists of deep, narrow inlets and steep-sided bays carved by drowned river valleys that resemble small fjords; these rias provide sheltered waters for snorkeling and scuba diving. Small dive operators and guesthouses operate from the village and nearby headlands, with coral reefs, pinnacles, and wreck or wall sites within local range.

The coastal rias around Tufi are natural features formed by rising sea levels inundating river valleys. The village and surrounding communities have long relied on dugout canoe travel, fishing, and small-scale trade; in recent decades tourism and dive operations have become important to the local economy.

Tufi sits on the south coast of Oro Province on Papua New Guinea’s main island (New Guinea), on a rugged coastline of inlets and headlands. It is reached by small aircraft services and by boat from larger coastal towns and Port Moresby.

• Coastal rias: Known for a coastline of fjord-like rias that create sheltered inlets and steep-sided bays, popular with divers and small-boat excursions.
• Access options: Accessible by small aircraft and by boat from larger towns, making it a common stop for liveaboard dive trips and remote-lodge visitors.