What to see, where to stay and the best time to visit Levuka, Fiji.
Photo: Anton Leddin / Wikimedia Commons
Levuka is a small, former colonial town on the island of Ovalau in Fiji, and it was once the country's capital. Timber buildings line Beach Street, backed by steep green hills, and the pace is slow. It suits travellers who want a quiet, historic base rather than a resort scene. May, June, July and August are the best months to visit, with drier, cooler conditions than the rest of the year.
Levuka's sights are compact: most attractions, like Beach Street, the churches and the museum, take 30 minutes to 2 hours each. A half-day trip inland to Lovoni village adds more. Two days is enough to see the town and take that trip at an easy pace.
Levuka town centre
The waterfront main street is lined with timber shopfronts from the colonial trading era. Walking it is the easiest way to see why Levuka is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. There is little traffic, so it is easy to stop and look at the buildings.
Beach Street
A Catholic church on the waterfront, built by Marist missionaries. Its clock tower is a Levuka landmark, and locals will tell you the clock strikes the hour twice. Dress modestly if you go inside.
Beach Street
Housed in an old trading company building, the centre holds a small museum on Levuka's past as Fiji's first colonial capital. It is a good first stop to understand what you are looking at around town.
Nasova, south of the town centre
Memorial stones mark where Fiji was handed over to Britain, which made Levuka the colonial capital. There is not much to see beyond the stones and the setting. Go for the history, and combine it with a walk along the coast road.
Levuka town
One of the oldest Methodist churches in Fiji, set near the northern end of town. It is a simple building, but it shows how early the missionaries arrived here.
Behind the town centre
A long flight of steps, known locally as the 199 Steps, climbs the hill behind town. The climb is steep and hot in the middle of the day, so go early or late. From the top you get the best view over the rooftops and the harbour.
Levuka town
A timber hotel often described as the oldest still operating in Fiji. Even if you stay elsewhere, it is worth looking in to see the old rooms and billiard room. Check that it is open before you go, as small places here can close at short notice.
North of the town centre
A rock outcrop above the coast where a visiting warship once fired shells to impress local chiefs. You can walk up for views along the Ovalau coastline. The path is short but can be slippery after rain.
Inland Ovalau
A village set inside an old volcanic crater in the middle of Ovalau island. Most visitors go on a guided walk or by village transport, and you should arrange it through your guesthouse. Bring a sulu to cover your legs and be ready for a sevusevu (kava welcome) custom.
Average weather and our month score, from 10 years of climate data.
| Month | High / low | Rain days | Sunshine | Sea temp | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29°C / 25°C | 26 days (324 mm) | 10.3 h/day | 29°C | 7.0/10 |
| February | 29°C / 26°C | 25 days (284 mm) | 9.8 h/day | 30°C | 7.0/10 |
| March | 29°C / 25°C | 27 days (296 mm) | 9.4 h/day | 29°C | 7.0/10 |
| April | 28°C / 25°C | 23 days (251 mm) | 9.9 h/day | 29°C | 7.0/10 |
| Best month: May | 27°C / 24°C | 19 days (173 mm) | 9.1 h/day | 28°C | 8.0/10 |
| Best month: June | 26°C / 24°C | 16 days (96 mm) | 9.2 h/day | 27°C | 8.0/10 |
| Best month: July | 26°C / 23°C | 16 days (77 mm) | 9.2 h/day | 26°C | 8.0/10 |
| Best month: August | 26°C / 23°C | 18 days (116 mm) | 9.4 h/day | 26°C | 8.0/10 |
| September | 26°C / 23°C | 19 days (93 mm) | 10.2 h/day | 26°C | 8.0/10 |
| October | 27°C / 24°C | 21 days (165 mm) | 10.2 h/day | 26°C | 8.0/10 |
| November | 28°C / 24°C | 22 days (158 mm) | 10.8 h/day | 27°C | 8.0/10 |
| December | 28°C / 25°C | 26 days (278 mm) | 10.2 h/day | 28°C | 7.0/10 |
Hot and wet: highs of 29°C with rain on about 26 days. Cyclone season brings heavy downpours. Scored a good 7.
Similar to January, 29°C highs and 25 rain days. Still cyclone season, so expect sudden storms. A good month, score 7.
Warm at 29°C but the wettest month, with rain on 27 days and 296mm total. Scored good, 7.
Highs ease to 28°C and rain days drop to 23. Humidity stays high. Still a good month, score 7.
Drier season begins: 27°C highs, 19 rain days, only 173mm rain. Scores rise to 8, the best verdict.
Cooler and drier, 26°C highs with just 16 rain days and 96mm rain. One of the best months, score 8.
The driest and mildest month: 26°C highs, 16 rain days, only 77mm rain. Best verdict, score 8.
Cool season continues with 26°C highs and 18 rain days. Sea temp dips to 26°C. Best verdict, score 8.
Slightly warmer at 26°C, with 19 rain days and more sun, 10 hours daily. Best verdict, score 8.
Highs climb to 27°C, rain days rise to 21 as the wet season approaches. Still rated best, score 8.
Warming further to 28°C with 22 rain days. Sunniest month at 11 hours daily. Best verdict, score 8.
Hot and wetter again: 28°C highs, 26 rain days, 278mm rain as cyclone season returns. Good month, score 7.
Climate averages 2015–2024 · Best time to visit Fiji →
The best areas to base yourself and who each one suits.
Good for first-timers, walkers, short stays
This is the old waterfront street at the heart of the World Heritage town. It has wooden shopfronts, small cafés, the wharf area and most services within an easy walk. The drawback is that the fish cannery nearby can bring smells and early-morning noise on some days.
Good for history fans, quiet stays
This calm area south of the centre is where the Deed of Cession was signed. It is greener and less busy than town, with the sea close by. The drawback is fewer shops and places to eat, so you will walk into town for most things.
Good for slow travellers, local life
This residential area to the north feels like everyday Fijian island life, with homes, gardens and the coast road. It is quiet and gives you a less touristy base. The drawback is limited accommodation and dark roads at night, so bring a torch.
Good for longer stays, nature, snorkelling
Further south the town gives way to a more rural stretch of coast. It suits people who want space, sea access and very quiet evenings. The drawback is distance from the centre, so you may need a lift or a long walk for supplies.
This is raw fish marinated in lime juice and coconut milk, mixed with chopped onion, tomato and chilli. It is a common starter in Levuka's cafes and family kitchens, especially on weekends when fresh fish comes in from local boats.
Levuka sits on the coast, so grouper, snapper and other reef fish often end up in a mild coconut curry served with rice. Small eateries along Beach Street serve this as a lunch staple.
A lovo is an underground earth oven used to cook meat, fish and root vegetables wrapped in banana leaves. Communities in and around Levuka still use this method for Sunday family meals and special gatherings.
These starchy root vegetables are boiled or roasted and served alongside almost every main dish in Levuka, much as rice or bread would be elsewhere in the Pacific.
This is a dish of taro leaves cooked slowly in coconut cream, sometimes with added meat or fish. It is a home-style dish found in local households and small cafes around town.
Yes, August is one of the best months to visit Levuka. It scores 8 out of 10 in the data. The high is 25.6°C and the low is 22.8°C, so days feel mild rather than hot. Rain falls on about 17.9 days, but total rainfall is just 116mm, among the driest months of the year.
The best months are May, June, July and August, each scoring 8 out of 10. June and July are the driest, with rain days down to 16.2 and 15.6 and rainfall of 96mm and 77mm. Temperatures cool slightly then too, with July's high at 25.8°C and low at 23.3°C.
Most of the main sights in town, such as Beach Street, Sacred Heart Church, the Community Centre and Museum, the Cession Site, Navoka Methodist Church, the Royal Hotel and Gun Rock, each take 30 minutes to 2 hours, so you can see them in a day. A trip to Lovoni village inland takes half a day on its own, so allow extra time if you want to include it.
Yes, the sea stays warm all year. It peaks at 29.8°C in February and drops to its coolest at 25.7°C in August, which is still comfortable for swimming. Even in the cooler months from June to September, when sea temperatures sit between 25.7°C and 27.1°C, the water is warm by most standards.
Rainfall varies a lot by month. The wettest months are January, with 324mm over about 25.6 rain days, and March, with 296mm over 26.8 rain days. The driest stretch runs from June to September, when rainfall drops to between 77mm and 116mm a month.
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