Must-see attractions in New Caledonia

  • Place des Cocotiers

    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…

  • Fort Téremba

    Grande Terre

    Built in 1871, this historic fort originally held convicts brought to the area to build roads. Following a revolt by local Kanaks against French colonial…

  • Le Parc des Grandes Fougères

    Grande Terre

    This 4500-hectare park, in the mountains above Farino, features tropical rainforest with rich and varied flora and fauna. As the name suggests, tree ferns…

  • The Heart of Voh

    Grande Terre

    North of Koné, near the township of Voh, there’s a mangrove swamp which has developed some unusual natural designs. The most intriguing is a perfect heart…

  • Anse Vata

    Noumea

    Orientated east–west, this popular beach is a hotspot for visitors to Noumea, with hotels, restaurants, shopping and other attractions. Only 10 minutes…

  • Pont de Mouli

    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…

  • Baie des Citrons

    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…

  • Aquarium des Lagons

    Noumea

    This aquarium is stunning. Species found in New Caledonian waters – including nautilus, sea snakes, stone fish, turtles, sharks and stingrays – have…

  • Le Saut du Guerrier

    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…

  • Statue of St Maurice

    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…

  • Parc Provincial de la Rivière Bleue

    Grande Terre

    Protected Blue River Park is a reserve for many bird species, including the cagou. The landscape is a mixture of the far south’s typical scrub vegetation…

  • Kanak Monument

    Grande Terre

    Directly below Balade Church, this monument, a large Kanak flag, was unveiled on 24 September 2011, 158 years to the day after France took possession of…

  • Ouvéa Memorial

    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…

  • Le Marché

    Noumea

    This colourful multi-hexagonal-shaped market is beside the marina at Port Moselle. Fishermen unload their catch; trucks offload fruit, vegetables and…

  • Fayaoué Beach

    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…

  • 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…

  • Grotte de la Reine Hortense

    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…

  • Brooding Hen & Sphinx

    Grande Terre

    Hienghène’s renowned Poule Couveuse (Brooding Hen) rock formation sits on one side of the entrance to Baie de Hienghène, facing the Sphinx on the other…

  • Aquarium Naturelle

    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,…

  • Yedjele Beach

    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…

  • Musée de la Ville de Noumea

    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…

  • Luengoni Beach

    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…

  • Tjibaou Cultural Centre.

    Tjibaou Cultural Centre

    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…

  • The Mwa Ka, Kanak Totem taking up the 8 differents totems representating the 8 Aires Coutumieres of New Caledonia

    Mwâ Ka

    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…

  • New Zealand War Cemetery

    Grande Terre

    Nine kilometres east of Bourail on RT1 is the well-tended New Zealand War Cemetery, where over 200 NZ soldiers killed in the Pacific during WWII are…

  • Touaourou Church

    Grande Terre

    If you do any driving around Grande Terre, you're bound to be stunned by the number of old churches. It seems that every village has at least one. At…

  • Musée de Bourail

    Grande Terre

    An old stone building 500m south of the town centre houses the Musée de Bourail. Its displays include objects relating to the presence of US and NZ troops…

  • Cascade de Wadiana

    Grande Terre

    At Goro on the east coast the road passes beside Wadiana falls, which cascade down a rocky slope into a natural pool where you can swim.

  • Amédée Islet

    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…

  • Prony

    Grande Terre

    Once a convict centre, Prony sits in a lush hollow surrounded by forest beside Baie de Prony. A stream runs through the village of corrugated-iron…

  • Mahamat Beach

    Grande Terre

    Captain James Cook became the first European to discover New Caledonia in 1774, on his second voyage. He landed at Mahamat Beach, and it was on climbing…

  • Parc Zoologique et Forestier

    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…

  • Îlot Maître

    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…

  • Monument de Balade

    Grande Terre

    This impressive monument was unveiled in 1913 to great fanfare to mark 60 years of French possession of New Caledonia. It has since been left to virtually…

  • Musée de l’Histoire Maritime

    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…

  • Île aux Canards

    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,…

  • 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…

  • Trou de Bone

    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…

  • Trou à Tortues

    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…

  • Le Site de Netcha

    Grande Terre

    Here, there are wooden platforms over the river and shelters and tables overlooking the water where you can picnic. You can camp here (500 CFP per tent)…

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