Ouvéa Memorial

Top choice in 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 held hostage by the pro-independence movement. Tragically, pro-independence leaders Jean-Marie Tjibaou and Yeiwene Yeiwene were assassinated opposite the memorial at the first-year memorial ceremony. The perpetrator believed they had ceded too much to France. The names and faces of the 19 are inscribed on the impressive memorial.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Loyalty Islands attractions

1. Trou Bleu d’Anawa

0.84 MILES

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…

2. Ouvéa Soap Factory

2.61 MILES

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…

3. Fayaoué Beach

5.02 MILES

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…

4. Trou à Tortues

8.69 MILES

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…

5. Pont de Mouli

9.49 MILES

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…