Must-see attractions in New Caledonia

  • Place des Cocotiers

    Noumea

    This is the heart of the city. The square slopes gently from east to west and at the top is a band rotunda, a famous landmark dating back to the late…

  • Pont de Mouli

    Loyalty Islands

    It may seem unusual to recommend a road bridge as a top sightseeing spot, but at Pont de Mouli, Ouvéa’s tip, Mouli island, is cut off by a wide channel…

  • Anse Vata

    Noumea

    Orientated east–west, this popular beach is a hotspot for visitors to Noumea, with hotels, restaurants, shopping and other attractions. Only 10 minutes…

  • Baie des Citrons

    Noumea

    Orientated north–south and less than 10 minutes from the city centre, trendy Baie des Citrons attracts locals and visitors alike. The beach is great for…

  • Aquarium des Lagons

    Noumea

    This aquarium is stunning. Species found in New Caledonian waters – including nautilus, sea snakes, stone fish, turtles, sharks and stingrays – have…

  • Le Saut du Guerrier

    Loyalty Islands

    Seven kilometres east of La Roche by sealed road is this gap in the cliffs, 5m wide and 30m above the pounding surf. Legend tells of a warrior who escaped…

  • Statue of St Maurice

    Île des Pins

    At Baie de St Maurice, this statue commemorates the arrival of the first missionaries on the island and is also a war memorial. There's a solemn line of…

  • Ouvéa Memorial

    Loyalty Islands

    The large memorial in Wadrilla is a tribute to 19 Kanaks who died in 1988, when French military personnel stormed a cave to free French gendarmes being…

  • Le Marché

    Noumea

    This colourful multi-hexagonal-shaped market is beside the marina at Port Moselle. Fishermen unload their catch; trucks offload fruit, vegetables and…

  • Fayaoué Beach

    Loyalty Islands

    The highlight of Ouvéa is its magnificent beach and lagoon. While the east coast of the island is mainly rough cliffs pounded by the Pacific Ocean, the…

  • Chapelle Notre Dame de Lourdes

    Loyalty Islands

    At the large white cross at Easo, stay on the coast road to a parking area below the small Chapelle Notre Dame de Lourdes. Steps lead up the hill to the…

  • Grotte de la Reine Hortense

    Île des Pins

    This impressive cave tunnels into a limestone cliff at the end of a path through wild tropical gardens. Queen Hortense, wife of a local chief, is believed…

  • Aquarium Naturelle

    Loyalty Islands

    About 3km south of Tadine is a large Aquarium Naturelle, a rockpool sunk in the cliffs and linked to the sea. Watch for Napoleon fish, perroquettes,…

  • Yedjele Beach

    Loyalty Islands

    The southwest coast has several gorgeous beaches where you can swim or snorkel during the day and watch the glorious sunsets in the evening, but best of…

  • Musée de la Ville de Noumea

    Noumea

    The beautiful colonial-style Musée de la Ville de Noumea, which overlooks Place des Cocotiers, is dwarfed by towering palm trees. It features fascinating…

  • Luengoni Beach

    Loyalty Islands

    A stretch of fine white sand bordering a stunning lagoon. Locals boast that it is New Caledonia’s most beautiful beach. The sheltered bay is a renowned…

  • Tjibaou Cultural Centre.

    Tjibaou Cultural Centre

    Noumea

    The cultural centre is a tribute to a pro-independence Kanak leader Jean-Marie Tjibaou, who was assassinated in 1989. It sits in a peaceful woodland and…

  • The Mwa Ka, Kanak Totem taking up the 8 differents totems representating the 8 Aires Coutumieres of New Caledonia

    Mwâ Ka

    Noumea

    Mwâ Ka is erected in a landscaped square opposite Musée de Nouvelle-Calédonie. The 12m totem pole is topped by a grande case (chief’s hut), complete with…

  • Amédée Islet

    Noumea

    This islet, about 20km south of Noumea, is famous for its tall white lighthouse, Phare Amédée (admission 200 CFP), which was built in France, shipped out…

  • Parc Zoologique et Forestier

    Noumea

    Wander along a network of paths through gardens of native shrubs and trees, cactus and forest with a changing backdrop of sea views in the distance. You…

  • Îlot Maître

    Noumea

    Only 15 minutes by boat from Port Moselle or Anse Vata, the gorgeous little island of Îlot Maître makes for a great day trip. Get out there with L…

  • Musée de l’Histoire Maritime

    Noumea

    Looking sharp after recent refurbishments, the Musée de l’Histoire Maritime, down past the Betico ferry terminal, has a mix of permanent collections and…

  • Île aux Canards

    Noumea

    Île aux Canards is a cute postcard-perfect islet sitting five minutes by taxi boat off Anse Vata. It's all here, including an underwater snorkelling path,…

  • Centre Culturel Yeiwene Yeiwene

    Loyalty Islands

    Maréan Yeiwene Yeiwene was deputy to independence leader Jean-Marie Tjibaou and assassinated alongside him on Ouvéa in 1989. A statue of Yeiwene stands…

  • Trou de Bone

    Loyalty Islands

    About 3km off the La Roche–Tadine Rd, on the road to Thogone, is Trou de Bone, a deep rock cavity which drops to a lush tropical garden and a pool. It’s…

  • Trou à Tortues

    Loyalty Islands

    Up in the north near St Joseph, the Turtles Hole is down an unmarked dirt road, then along a 50m path through the bush. An immense hole in the limestone…

  • Trou Bleu d’Anawa

    Loyalty Islands

    The deep Trou Bleu d’Anawa is sunk in the coral rock and connected to the sea underground. If you're lucky, you may see fish and turtles in the blue water…

  • La Roche

    Loyalty Islands

    A huge limestone rock covered in vegetation near the coast gives the surrounding area of La Roche (the Rock) its name. The rock, known locally as Titi,…

  • Ouen Toro

    Noumea

    A sealed road winds up 132m Ouen Toro from just past Anse Vata beach. Two WWII guns still stand sentinel at the summit from where there are excellent…

  • Convict Prison Ruins

    Île des Pins

    Just north of Baie de Kuto, beside the main road, are the crumbling, overgrown ruins of an old convict prison built in the late 19th century. Île des Pins…

  • Cathédrale St Joseph

    Noumea

    The cathedral was built in 1888 by convict labour and is one of Noumea’s landmarks. It has beautiful stained-glass windows and an elaborately carved…

  • Ouvéa Soap Factory

    Loyalty Islands

    Take a free visit to the soap factory, next to the ferry quay in Wadrilla. Made from coconut oil, it is producing household soap, soap perfumed with…

  • Baie de St Joseph

    Île des Pins

    Two kilometres east of Vao and also referred to as Baie des Pirogues, this is where the Pirogue Excursion leaves from daily. Locals build their…

  • Grotte de la Troisième

    Île des Pins

    About 8km north of Kuto, a signposted turn-off leads down a dirt road to the sunken Grotte de la Troisième. The cave is 100m down a path from the end of…

  • Catholic Church

    Île des Pins

    The attractive 19th-century Catholic church dominates Vao. It was established by the Marist priest Father Goujon, who managed to convert most of the…

  • Musée de Nouvelle-Calédonie

    Noumea

    The Musée de Nouvelle-Calédonie provides an excellent introduction to traditional Kanak and regional Pacific culture. Local exhibits are displayed on the…

  • Grotte les Joyaux de Luengoni

    Loyalty Islands

    Just west of Luengoni Beach are limestone caves both above and below ground; the underground caves have beautiful deep rock pools which shimmer emerald…

  • Peng

    Loyalty Islands

    Don’t miss the blissful and secluded beach at Peng on Baie du Santal, 3.5km off the Wé–Drueulu Rd; turn off at the tribu Hapetra.

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