Things to do in Nuku Hiva
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Nuku Hiva
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Dry season, May to Oct: cooler air, steadier trade winds, firmer trails and the most reliable Vaipo, Hatiheu and diving days.
Wet season, Nov to Apr: hotter and more humid, valleys greenest and Vaipo fullest, but muddy trails and river crossings can cancel hikes.
Shoulder months May and Oct give the best balance of dry season weather and availability.
What's on
- Matava'a o te Henua Enana Mid December in host years
The Marquesas arts and culture festival, rotating between islands. Nuku Hiva hosted the major edition in Taiohae on 16 to 20 Dec 2023, and the next major edition is scheduled for Hiva Oa in 2027.
- Heiva season celebrations, Taiohae July
Smaller local dance and sport celebrations in Taiohae during Heiva season. Worth catching if dates align, not a reason to move a trip.
Best things to do in Nuku Hiva
Taiohae Bay
The island's main bay and waterfront, a wide volcanic amphitheatre where village life, boats and black sand meet.
Notre Dame Cathedral
Taiohae's cathedral built with stone from all six inhabited Marquesas islands, filled with Marquesan wood carving.
Tiki Tuhiva
A large modern tiki on the Taiohae waterfront by the Temehea Tohua, an easy first taste of Marquesan carving.
Kamuihei Archaeological Site
Restored tohua cluster above Hatiheu with giant banyans, petroglyphs and tiki, best seen with a local guide.
Paeke Archaeological Site
A Taipivai valley me'ae with stone platforms and tiki up to five feet tall, reached by a short forest walk.
Taipivai Valley
The lush Typee valley where Melville lived in 1842, rich in platforms and tiki and made for a guided drive.
Hatiheu
North coast village under basalt spires with a black sand bay, a small church and the Virgin above the village.
Mate Tourisme
Private or small group boat trips from Taiohae, the splurge way to read the coast as the first sailors saw it.
Where to stay in Nuku Hiva
Taiohae
every visitor, the only real base
All pensions, the lodge, the bank, the market and every tour departure are here on Taiohae Bay.
Anaho
a night or two off grid after the main stay
A small pension and camping by the reef bay for travellers who hike or boat in and want to stay over.
Best restaurants in Nuku Hiva
Yvonne's
Hatiheu's legendary Marquesan table, earth oven pig, poisson cru and goat, the natural lunch on the north loop.
Restaurant Moana Nui
Taiohae's pension restaurant for pizza and European plates, one of the few evening tables outside half board.
Snack Vaeaki
A long hours Taiohae snack for cheap Polynesian plates and breakfasts near the waterfront and market.
Restaurant Kaniho
The simple restaurant at Anaho Bay, the lunch to plan a beach day around when you cross from Hatiheu.
Outdoor things to do in Nuku Hiva
Colette Bay
A quiet black sand cove about an hour on foot from Taiohae, the easiest DIY walk and swim from the base town.
Toovii Plateau
The cool pine dotted high plateau at the island's centre, a walking landscape unlike the tropical coast below.
Vaipo Waterfall
A 350 metre horsetail fall in Hakaui valley, among the tallest in Polynesia, reached by boat then a valley hike.
Anaho Bay
A road free white sand bay with the Marquesas' only coral reef, reached by boat or a ridge hike from Hatiheu.
Vaimo'u Excursion
Guided horse rides to the Toovii plateau and down to Colette Bay, with pick up from your pension in Taiohae.
Mate Excursions
A native guide's full day 4WD circuit of Taipivai, Hatiheu, Aakapa and Hooumi, with sites and viewpoints.
Nuku Hiva Diving Center
Small group dives from Taiohae quay to walls and seamounts where manta rays and hammerhead sharks are often seen.
Best hotels in Nuku Hiva
Le Nuku Hiva by Pearl Resorts
The island's only full hotel, 20 bungalows in gardens above Taiohae Bay with a pool, bar and restaurant.
Pension Mave Mai
A well run family pension above Taiohae with bay views, home cooking and help arranging cars and excursions.
He'e Tai Inn
A simple waterfront inn in Taiohae with air conditioned rooms, bungalows and breakfast, a solid mid range base.
Pension Koku'u
A small family pension in Taiohae known for its table and guided plateau hikes, the value way to stay local.
Is Nuku Hiva expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | CFPF 18,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | CFPF 35,000 a person |
| Splurge | CFPF 65,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Kamuihei Archaeological Site: a few days ahead
- Paeke Archaeological Site: a few days ahead
- Taipivai Valley: a few days ahead
- Hatiheu: a few days ahead
- Mate Tourisme: a few days ahead
- Vaipo Waterfall: a few days ahead
- Anaho Bay: a few days ahead
- Vaimo'u Excursion: a few days ahead
- Book flights, beds and the diving centre weeks to months ahead. Beds are few and flights are fewer.
- Stay at least five nights, seven or more is better, and book the Hatiheu 4WD day and the Vaipo boat and hike through your pension on arrival.
Is Nuku Hiva safe?
- There is no area to avoid in Taiohae. The real risk is remoteness.
- Taiohae has a small hospital but a serious case means a medevac flight of about 3.5 hours to Papeete, weather permitting. Carry evacuation insurance.
- Use monoi oil or repellent against nono sandflies at the bays, default to bottled or boiled water outside Taiohae's treated supply, and respect river levels after rain.
Nuku Hiva travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Do not plan island-hopping. Every other Marquesas island is a scarce flight or a ship day away.
- Do not swim in Taiohae Bay on a whim. Port guidance warns of sharks there, so swim at Colette Bay and Anaho Bay where locals swim.
- Do not confuse Hakamoui on Ua Pou with Hakaui on Nuku Hiva, and do not look for Gauguin here. He lived and is buried on Hiva Oa.
Getting around Nuku Hiva: public transport and more
- No public transport or rideshare. Walk Taiohae, let your pension arrange the roughly 1.5 hour airport transfer, and book 4WD, boat or horse days ahead.
- Agree prices in XPF in advance and carry cash. Card acceptance is limited and the bank and ATM are in Taiohae.
- Build the trip around flight days. Flights from Papeete take about 3.5 hours and run only a few times a week, and the Aranui 5 calls on its own rhythm.
Who Nuku Hiva suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | OK |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Nuku Hiva your trip
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