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 New Caledonia
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…
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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…
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Noumea
This colourful multi-hexagonal-shaped market is beside the marina at Port Moselle. Fishermen unload their catch; trucks offload fruit, vegetables and…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Noumea
The Musée de Nouvelle-Calédonie provides an excellent introduction to traditional Kanak and regional Pacific culture. Local exhibits are displayed on the…
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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…
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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.
