MARQUESAS ISLANDS
"Land of Men"
Spectacular Marquesas, high islands with sugar loaf shaped peaks,
covered with lush green nature ruling as its master.
Uncommon Handicraft

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 Identity
With their mountains shaped like sugar loaves diving in the saphire blue of the ocean, their secret and inaccessible creeks, these mysterious islands guarded by wild horses and monumental stone tikis leave nobody indifferent. A stay in the Marquesas is often a fabulous adventure in search of wild nature, numerous archeological sites, deeply rooted traditions and arts and crafts with an uncommon sense of aesthetics.

 The 12 islands of the MARQUESAS,

• Nuku-Hiva... the majestic
• Hiva-Oa... in the wake of Gauguin and Brel
• Ua-Huka... celebrating wild horses 
• Ua-Pou... pillars of the sky
• Tahuata... culture and spirituality
• Fatu-Hiva... the famous Bay of the Virgins
   
• and the other islands of Hatutu, Eiao, Hatu-Iti, Motu-One, Motane, Fatu-Huku and the Clark Bank, which are all uninhabited.

At a glance: The Land of Men offers unbelievable particularity to its visitors. Everything here is different. Language, customs, culture and the population's frame of mind. 1,500 km (nearly 1,000 miles) away Northeast of Tahiti, the 12 islands of the archipelago are located very close to the Equator. The climate there is dryer, with a very narrow range of temperature (+ 5°C or 3 deg. F), agriculture and fishing are practiced in different ways. The area is by far the richest in tuna type fishes in all of Polynesia. The Marquesas' fascination rests in its magic noriety established from some wonderful experiences lived by some great names in human history, like Paul Gauguin, Herman Melville, Robert Louis Stevenson, Eric Segalen or Jacques Brel. Many visitors arrive aboard cruise ships bringing them right there. The few rare "adventurers" who discovered these islands all tell about a unique experience. Traditional arts and crafts, namely sculpture and the making of tapa (ponded tree bark tinted with drawings), inspire an exceptional interest. And the rare well equipped guest houses all offer quality lodging to their visitors. Still, despite undeniable tourism assets (beauty of the sites, originality of the culture, untouched spaces as far as you can see), the Marquesas attract only few tourists. The length of the trip (a 3-hr flight), its cost, and the lack of infrastructures are such that the Marquesas receive only between 5 and 5,000 tourists each year. But the Marquesans, happy to reveal their fanatastic environment, remain stoic: you even have to deserve the right to access the Fenua Enata, the Land of Men. Never forget!

How to get there: 

By plane : a 3hour flight from Tahiti-Faa’a to Nuku-Hiva on the North side of the Marquesas or to Hiva-Oa to the South - 3 to 4 wekly flights + inter-islands connections abord twin engine planes. 

By boat
• The Aranui cruise: one of the best ways to visit and truly discover the Marquesas. This freighter, equipped with comfortable cabin, carries its passengers from Tahiti (a 4-day crossing) for a three-week cruise in the Marquesas islands, following a judicious itinerary that leaves nothing to chance. On each island, the Aranui's "correspondants" organize land excursions to discover everything you need to see and know. At the same time, the passengers can get acquainted with the routine of this inter-island schooner loading copra and delivering supplies to each island. In everybody's opninion, this is a great moment confirmed by an extraordinary success for over ten years!  It is possible to fly from Tahiti to the Marquesas and then catch  the Aranui in Nuku-Hiva. The same possibility is offered on the way back from Hiva-Oa.

• The Taporo V and the Tamarii Tuamotu also sail to the Marquesas (about once a month). These freighters ensure the delivery of supplies to the islands and can carry about ten passengers on each voyage. Comfort is rather spartan, but the crossing is very cheap.