Must-see attractions in South Pacific

  • 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…

  • Mele Cascades Waterfall Port Vila Vanuatu

    Mele Cascades

    Port Vila

    This popular and photogenic swimming spot is 10km from Port Vila. A series of clear aquamarine pools terrace up the hillside, culminating in an impressive…

  • 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…

  • National Museum of Vanuatu

    Port Vila

    This excellent museum, in a soaring traditional building opposite the parliament, has a well-displayed collection of traditional artefacts such as tamtam …

  • Port Olry

    Espiritu Santo

    At the end of the sealed road you come to Port Olry, a small francophone fishing village with a stunning curve of white-sand beach and eye-watering…

  • 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…

  • Bungalows on Iririki Island and yachts on Mele Bay from Port Vila.

    Iririki Island

    Port Vila

    Iririki is the green, bungalow-laden island right across from Port Vila’s waterfront; it was closed following Cyclone Pam in 2015 but is expected to…

  • Hideaway Island

    Port Vila

    Just 100m or so offshore from Mele Beach, Hideaway Island isn't all that hidden but it's one of Vila's favourite spots for snorkelling, diving or just…

  • 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…

  • Loru Conservation Area

    Espiritu Santo

    Covering 220 hectares, Loru Conservation Area contains one of the last patches of lowland forest remaining on Santo’s east coast. There are several…

  • 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…

  • Chief Roi Mata Burial Site

    Efate

    Chief Roi Mata's domain and burial site became Vanuatu's first World Heritage site in 2008. Roi Mata was a powerful 17th-century chief who, as legend has…

  • Ekasup Cultural Village

    Port Vila

    Futuna islanders talk about and demonstrate their traditional lifestyle at their kastom village. If you're not heading out to other islands, this is an…

  • 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…

  • Champagne Beach

    Espiritu Santo

    Champagne Beach is a pretty horseshoe of soft white sand and turquoise water that gets rave (slightly overhyped) reviews and regular cruise-ship visitors…

  • 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…

  • Erakor Island

    Port Vila

    Erakor is one of Vila's excellent resort islands. Day trippers can swim and snorkel at the shallow white-sand beach, kayak around the island or dine in…

  • 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,…

  • Vila Outdoor Market

    Port Vila

    Vila’s colourful waterfront covered market (also known as the Mama's Market) is open round the clock from Monday morning to noon on Saturday with women…

  • Summit

    Port Vila

    Take the winding road up to the Summit to visit these botanic gardens offering wonderful views over Mele Bay. There's a plant distillery producing…

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