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…
Must-see attractions in Vanuatu & New Caledonia
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…
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…
Noumea
Orientated east–west, this popular beach is a hotspot for visitors to Noumea, with hotels, restaurants, shopping and other attractions. Only 10 minutes…
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…
Noumea
This aquarium is stunning. Species found in New Caledonian waters – including nautilus, sea snakes, stone fish, turtles, sharks and stingrays – have…
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…
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…
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…
Port Vila
This excellent museum, in a soaring traditional building opposite the parliament, has a well-displayed collection of traditional artefacts such as tamtam …
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…
Noumea
This colourful multi-hexagonal-shaped market is beside the marina at Port Moselle. Fishermen unload their catch; trucks offload fruit, vegetables and…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
