Loyalty Islands

New Caledonia

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People swimming in a lagoon on Mare Island in New Caledonia.

©Nenad Basic/Shutterstock

Overview

Maré, Lifou and Ouvéa. Fairy-tale names for fairy-tale islands. In a line 100km off the east coast of Grande Terre, they’re all sparsely populated with secluded beaches, hidden caves and deep holes. They all have large tracts of impenetrable bush, but their roads are so good that driving around is a dream.

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