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New Caledonia

Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2025

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Isles of Pines New Caledonia.

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Overview

New Caledonia's dazzling lagoon surrounds it with every hue of blue, green and turquoise. The light and the space simply delight your senses. By becoming a World Heritage site, the lagoon has helped bring the people together to celebrate and protect it, from village level through to government.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Place des Cocotiers

    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…

  • Pont de Mouli

    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…

  • Anse Vata

    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…

  • Baie des Citrons

    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

    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

    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

    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…

  • 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…

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