Solomon Islands - The places of your holidays on a sailing yacht and catamaran

Solomon Islands are an island country in the Pacific Ocean, made up of around a thousand small islands, with Honiara as a capital city.

The islands are of volcanic origin and form two separate archipelagos, Solomon Islands and Santa Cruz Islands. The main island is Guadalcanal, where the highest mountains are found, mount Popomanaseu (2335 m) and mount Makarakomburu (2310 m). Other islands of significant size are Santa Isabel, Makira, Malaita, New Georgia and Choiseul. The territory of these islands is predominantly mountainous or hilly, covered by forests. Vulcanoes, both active and dormant, are numerous; the most famous is Kavachi submarine volcano.

The climate of the islands is equatorial, humid all year round. The coolest time is from June to August, while rainfalls are heavier from November to April, with occasional cyclones.

The islands are almost entirely covered by thick jungle, while some palm plantations can be found along the coasts. There are two distinct bioregions: the rainforest of Solomon Islands and the rainforest of Santa Cruz Islands, with some slight differences in vegetation between one another. 

On the islands there are also around fifty different species of mammals, most of which are endemic. Numerous are bat species and there are also some rodent species. Marine mammals also include the dugong. Bird species are plenty and varied.

Solomon Islands are among the poorest countries in Oceania. The economy is chiefly based on the primary sector. Subsistence farming produces colocasia, rice, vegetables, cassava and tropical fruit. There are also cocoa and coconut plantations for the production of copra, which is generally exported. Fishing is quite thriving, due to the rich marine wildlife of these islands. Mining resources are not exploited, despite the presence of copper, gold, bauxite, lead and nickel.

Timber is quite significant, while the secondary sector is almost non-existent and the tertiary sector is limited to tourism activities.

During a holiday or cruise at Solomon Islands, tourists remain speechless in front of the beauty of beaches and lagoons, the crystal clear water allowing to practise water sports and the pristine nature of forests.