Places to Explore

• Fatu Hiva

  The southernmost island in the Marquesas archipelago, Fatu Hiva is also the most isolated. The island has high sheer cliffs, craggy slopes, and a mass of untamed vegetation. The lush jungles are divided... (more)

• Hiva Oa

  Isolated and wildly beautiful, Hiva Oa—known as the garden of the Marquesas—was the wild paradise that French artist Paul Gauguin escaped to in 1901 and where he lived out the rest of his days... (more)

• Mangareva

  Mangareva, with a population around 1,000, is the farthest island from Tahiti (1,033 mi away) and virtually the only inhabited one. It's certainly the only one with tourist accommodations. Pearl farming... (more)

• Nuku Hiva

  Author Herman Melville summed up Nuku Hiva as a "country that no description could fit the beauty." Melville deserted his ship, the whaler Acushnet in the Marquesas and for a short time lived among the... (more)

• Raiatea

  Known as the "Sacred Island," Raiatea is a fascinating haunt for archaeologists and historians as it's one of the islands in the Pacific where Polynesian culture can trace its roots. Visitors will find... (more)

• Tahaa

  Located just north of Raiatea, and only a few minutes by shuttle boat, the fragrant scent of vanilla envelops Tahaa, giving it its nickname,"the vanilla island." The island produces more than 80% of French... (more)

• Tubuai

  Life is quiet for the 2,000-some inhabitants of Tubuai, which is 644 km (400 mi) south of Tahiti. It's a mellow, subtropical island of approximately 70 square km (27 square mi) and the capital of the Austral... (more)

• Ua Huka

  Arid and small, at approximately 78 square km (30 square mi), Ua Huka (which means "great house" in the Polynesian language) is home to around 570 people, but they are greatly outnumbered by many more... (more)