The Marquesas Islands

Hiva Oa, often called the ‘garden of the Marquesas Islands’, is renowned for its fertile soil and lush vegetation. The vibrant green landscape conceals roads and houses, while craggy mountains and deep valleys are dotted with numerous archaeological sites and remnants of an ancient civilisation, including the largest tiki statues in The Islands of Tahiti. The island’s volcanic black sand beaches lie in the shade of rocky cliffs. Atuona, the main village, is nestled in Taaoa Bay at the foot of Mount Temetiu, which rises to 1,276 meters, and Mount Fe’ani, standing at 1,016 metres. The village cemetery is the final resting place of artist Paul Gauguin and singer Jacques Brel.

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Ua Huka is reputed for its dry soil and breathtaking landscapes. Wild horses gallop across the arid plains, while wild goats scale the slopes and ridges of this mystical island. Unspoiled and authentic, Ua Huka is a place where the spirit of the ancestors remains an integral part of daily life.

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Fatu Hiva is the most isolated inhabited island in the archipelago, accessible only by sea. This small yet astonishing island is characterised by high mountains and lush green valleys. In 1937, Thor Heyerdahl and his wife traded their modern lifestyle for the natural authenticity of Fatu Hiva, where he developed his now-debunked theory that Polynesians originally migrated from South America. The islanders live near the village of Omoa and craft traditional tapa cloth from the bark of the mulberry tree. One of the South Pacific’s most picturesque sites is the ‘Bay of Virgins’ in Hanavave, where the setting sun illuminates the mountain peaks, making them glow like burning embers.