Blue Lagoon Beach

Blue Lagoon Beach on Nanuya Lailai Island is the Yasawas' most famous stretch of sand, and it earns the reputation. The lagoon is sheltered by two headlands of volcanic rock and a reef that runs across the mouth, producing water that graduates from pale green over the sand to a deep turquoise further out. The beach itself is white, fine, and backed by palm trees in the way beaches in travel brochures are supposed to be but rarely are.

Swimming is excellent throughout the lagoon, and snorkelling on the reef along the edges is good for reef fish and occasional turtles. The beach can be accessed from several guesthouses and resorts on Nanuya Lailai, including the well-regarded Nanuya Island Resort and a cluster of budget bure operations.

Day-trippers come here from nearby islands — this is one of the stops on some Yasawa Flyer itineraries — but the beach is large enough that it rarely feels overwhelmed. If you want it quieter, arrive early morning or stay overnight on the island, when the day-trip boats have left and the lagoon returns to its natural stillness.

things to do beaches sight swimming
A story
Nanuya Lailai's lagoon was used as the location for the 1980 film "The Blue Lagoon," starring Brooke Shields. The production team chose it over dozens of other Pacific candidates because the colour gradations in the water — from pale turquoise to deep blue — were more photogenic than anywhere else they scouted. The beach looked largely the same when the film was made as it does today.