Levuka

About this place

Levuka is a small port town on the east coast of Ovalau Island and was Fiji's capital until 1877. UNESCO inscribed it on the World Heritage List in June 2013 as a rare witness to the late colonial port towns of the Pacific. Its timber main street still looks as though little has changed in a century, which is the reason to come. European settlers and traders founded it around 1820, making it the first modern town in the Fiji Islands, and it prospered on the sea cucumber trade. Seru Cakobau was crowned king here in 1871. It stayed the capital after Britain annexed the islands in 1874, then the administration moved to Suva because the surrounding hills left no room to expand. It is home to many of Fiji's «firsts». Beach Street runs along the water with a row of old timber shops with red roofs and decorated fronts, and steep green hills rise behind. Here were Fiji's first bank, post office and public school, along with the Royal Hotel, the oldest operating hotel in the South Pacific. White timber houses stand among coconut palms. You reach it by bus and ferry from Suva: sources give an hour and a half by bus to Natovi Landing, an hour by ferry and another hour by bus. Times may change, and one source reports flights suspended, so check ahead. Allow at least one night, and do not expect beaches, as the town is about its history and quiet walks. Cyclone season runs from November to April, so check the weather before you travel.