Anaho Bay on Nuku Hiva, white sand under green Marquesan ridges with yachts at anchor

Marquesas

Nuku Hiva,
the largest
Marquesan island.

No lagoon and no reef. Valleys reached by boat, ceremonial sites under banyan trees, and a waterfall about 350 metres high.

Anaho Bay

Three hours and a quarter of ocean from Tahiti, then an hour and a half by road from the airport to Taiohae. 3,025 people, a time zone half an hour ahead, and since 2024 a World Heritage listing for the whole archipelago under its own name, Te Henua Enata, the land of men.

01 · Taiohae and the valleys

Everything
by boat or 4WD.

Taiohae sits on a deep south-coast bay with the cathedral of the Marquesas, a memorial to Herman Melville, the quays, the shops, most of the beds and the island's two dive centres. From the fishing quay a boat runs along the coast to Hakatea Bay and the Hakaui valley, where a four-hour walk leads to a viewpoint on the Vaipo waterfall, about 350 metres high. Mate Tourisme runs it daily for 9,000 to 25,000 XPF a head depending on the group, lunch extra, cash on site.

Over the island's spine on the north coast, Hatiheu has the ceremonial sites. Kamuihei, a few kilometres from the village, is paepae platforms, tiki, sacred enclosures and petroglyphs under a banyan so large it takes most of a day to explore properly. Hikokua is a great rectangular dancing ground ringed by stone seating. Hire a villager to explain them. An hour's walk east over a 217-metre saddle, Anaho Bay has the only coral platform in the Marquesas and the nearest thing to a calm swimming beach; the boat back takes fifteen minutes.

Taipivai, behind Controller Bay, is the valley of Melville's Typee, with its own sites. Divers go out from Taiohae to La Sentinelle aux Marteaux, 20 to 40 metres with manta rays and, often, hammerheads, and into an ocean cave. The water is plankton-rich: expect life, not visibility. The Marquesas' huge gatherings of melon-headed whales and spinner dolphins were one of the values cited in the heritage listing.

02 · Three Nuku Hivas

A fall, a tohua,
a bay.

The Vaipo falls

The Vaipo falls

Boat from Taiohae, then four hours on foot to the viewpoint and back, with a swim at Hakatea on the way home.

Kamuihei

Kamuihei

Platforms, tiki and petroglyphs under the banyan at Hatiheu. A 4WD day with a driver-guide, and the best day in the Marquesas.

Hatiheu and Anaho

Hatiheu and Anaho

The black-sand bay with the village, and the white one an hour's walk further on, with Pension Kao Tiae reached only on foot or by boat.

03 · Logistics

Give it
four nights.

Air Tahiti flies Tahiti to Nuku Hiva in a minimum of 3 h 15 with return fares from 87,560 XPF when checked in October 2026; Air Moana starts weekly rotations in spring 2027. The other way in is the Aranui 5, the cargo-passenger ship that works 12-day loops from Papeete and makes Nuku Hiva its first Marquesan stop, from about US$4,174 a person in the dormitory. There is no shuttle from the airport: pensions arrange the hour-and-a-half transfer, Mave Mai for 8,000 XPF a head return, and roads are steep enough that the tourist board recommends a guided tour for a first look.

The one hotel, Le Nuku Hiva by Pearl Resorts, has twenty bungalows on the hillside above Taiohae Bay with a pool, a Relais & Châteaux label and every veranda facing the water. Pension Mave Mai, run by the founders' daughter since 2024, has twelve rooms and two bungalows in the village from 19,500 XPF half board; Pension Moana Nui has its own restaurant and pizzeria. Most visitors eat where they sleep, and excursions include a Marquesan lunch in a village: try kaaku, pounded breadfruit. Carry cash for village lunches and the carvers.

04 · Know before you go

The practical
part.

Getting there
Air Tahiti, 3 h 15 minimum, from 87,560 XPF return. The Aranui 5 from Papeete, 12 days. Nothing else scheduled from Tahiti.A night on Tahiti each way
Getting around
Driver-guides with 4WDs, booked by your pension; 4WD rental from NKH Rent Car or Kena Rent; boats from the Taiohae quay for Hakaui and Anaho.Mave Mai rents cars from 3,500 XPF a day
Rain
About 900 mm a year at the dry airport station; September and October driest at 29–49 mm; March wettest. Temperatures barely move: highs of 30–31 °C all year.Taiohae is wetter than the airport
Diving
Nuku Hiva Diving Center and Nuku Dive, both at the small fishermen's quay in Taiohae, about fifteen sites 10 to 30 minutes away. Open-ocean conditions: experienced divers.Hammerheads likely, not promised
Where to swim
Anaho, on foot or by boat. Hakatea bay on the Hakaui day. Elsewhere, ask.No lagoon, no reef
Pair it
Hiva Oa is 50 minutes away by air: Nuku Hiva for walking and boats, Hiva Oa for Gauguin, Brel and the great tiki. With a week, add Ua Pou or Ua Huka.The Aranui shows six islands in 12 days

05 · How to plan it

Four steps.

  1. 01

    Base in Taiohae

    Beds, services, the dive centres and the boats, all in one bay.

  2. 02

    One boat day

    Hakaui and the Vaipo viewpoint, with a swim at Hakatea.

  3. 03

    One 4WD day

    Over the spine to Hatiheu, the sites with a village guide, lunch, and the walk or boat to Anaho.

  4. 04

    One spare day

    For the valley of Typee, a dive, or a cancelled boat.

06 · Who it does not suit

Not for beach
and lagoon people.

Swimming depends on the swell, the nonos own the beaches at dusk, the airport is a long way from everything, and most sites need a guide, a boat or a 4WD booked in advance. Restaurants are few. Walkers, people interested in Polynesian archaeology and anyone happy to plan around a driver and the weather will find more here than anywhere else in the country.

07 · Who it suits

Who it
suits best.

Known for: Taiohae, the Marquesan capital, on a deep south-coast bay · Kamuihei and Hikokua, ceremonial sites under the Hatiheu banyans · Anaho, a white-sand bay you reach on foot or by boat · The Hakaui valley walk to the Vaipo falls · Hammerheads and manta rays for experienced divers.

Walkers, people interested in Polynesian archaeology and living culture, and anyone happy to plan around a driver, a boat and the weather. The island has more organised outings than its neighbours — boat trips to Hakaui, 4WD days to Hatiheu, a pair of dive centres — and Taiohae has enough beds and services to make a base that works without a car of your own.

Typical stay: 3–5 nights. Arrival and departure each eat half a day on the airport road; three full days cover Hakaui, a Hatiheu–Anaho day and Taiohae, and a spare day absorbs a cancelled boat.

08 · Getting there and around

Getting there,
getting around.

International
All international flights land at Faa'a (PPT) on Tahiti; the Marquesas have no international service. Air Tahiti's minimum connection is 90 minutes from an international to a domestic flight and 120 minutes the other way. Given the distance, a night on Tahiti in each direction is the sane plan.1
Domestic flights
Air Tahiti flies Tahiti–Nuku Hiva (1,406 km) in a minimum of 3 h 15. Its website quoted return fares from 87,560 XPF (≈ US$858) including 7,560 XPF of taxes when checked in October 2026.2
Air Moana
Air Moana also serves the Marquesas with ATR 72s. Its schedule from late March 2027, as reported in October 2026, shows one weekly Papeete–Nuku Hiva–Hiva Oa rotation, rising to two from 7 May 2027, plus a weekly Papeete–Hiva Oa–Nuku Hiva triangle. Check its own site for dates.3
Aranui 5
The cargo-passenger ship sails 12-day round trips from Papeete. On the November 2026 itinerary Nuku Hiva is the first Marquesan stop: Taiohae, then a 4WD outing to Kamuihei and lunch. 2026 fares run from US$4,174 (≈ 426,000 XPF) per person in the dormitory or an obstructed-view cabin to US$12,728 (≈ 1.3 million XPF) per person sharing the presidential suite.4
By sea, otherwise
There is no scheduled passenger ferry from Tahiti. Tahiti Tourisme notes passenger ferries between some Marquesan islands, cargo ships and visiting cruise ships, but for most visitors the realistic choices are the plane or the Aranui.5
Airport transfer
No shuttle. Land carriers and taxis cover the 1 h 30 road to Taiohae and the other villages; most pensions arrange the trip. Pension Mave Mai charges 8,000 XPF (≈ US$78) per person for the return airport transfer, and rents cars from 3,500 XPF (≈ US$34) a day. Book before you fly.6
4WD rental
Tahiti Tourisme lists NKH Rent Car 2023 and Kena Rent on Nuku Hiva. Roads are steep and sometimes in poor condition, which is why Tahiti Tourisme recommends a guided tour for a first look.5
Driver-guides
A local guide with a 4WD is the usual way to see Hatiheu, Taipivai and the archaeological sites — Tahiti Tourisme suggests hiring a villager in Hatiheu to explain the remains. Pensions and the hotel book them.7
Boats
Hakaui and its valley are reached by boat from the fishing port in Taiohae. Anaho has no road: walk over from Hatiheu or take a boat back, about 15 minutes.8

09 · Where to stay

Which side
of the island.

Taiohae & the south coast. The administrative village: the cathedral, the quays, shops, most pensions and the hotel, and the start point for Hakaui boats and dives. The view down the bay from Muake hill is the one on the postcards. Best for: First-time bases, no-car stays, divers.

Hatiheu & Anaho. North coast, over the island's spine from Taiohae: the Kamuihei and Hikokua sites behind Hatiheu, and Anaho's white sand an hour's walk east. Few beds; Pension Kao Tiae at Anaho is reached only on foot or by boat. Best for: Archaeology, the island's one coral-fringed beach.

Taipivai & the east. The valley of Melville's Typee, behind Controller Bay, with its own ceremonial sites. A day out from Taiohae rather than a base. Best for: Literary history, valley drives.

Hakaui (west). A roadless valley off the south-west coast: boat to Hakatea bay, then the trail to the Vaipo viewpoint. Done as a day trip from Taiohae. Best for: The island's signature hike.

Terre Déserte (north-west). Dry, open country around the airport — the 'Deserted Land' of its name. You will drive through it twice; there is no reason to stay. Best for: Arrivals and departures only.

10 · Accommodation

Beds,
by budget.

Hotel
The island's one hotel: 20 bungalows on the hillside above Taiohae Bay, with an infinity pool, a restaurant and bar, and a Relais & Châteaux label. Formerly the Keikahanui Pearl Lodge. Pearl Resorts reported in 2026 that the rooms had been renovated, every veranda facing the bay. No public rates. Examples: Le Nuku Hiva by Pearl Resorts.9
Pensions & guesthouses
Family-run, mostly in and around Taiohae, usually sold half board. Mave Mai, opened in 1999 and run by the founders' daughter since 2024, has 12 rooms and 2 bungalows in the village centre; Pension Tokaeva (6 units) sits in the Hoata valley; Pension Moana Nui (7 units) has its own restaurant and pizzeria. Examples: Pension Mave Mai, Pension Tokaeva, Pension Moana Nui.6Mave Mai: from 19,500 XPF (≈ US$191) per room and 23,000 XPF (≈ US$225) per bungalow a night, half board, plus 150 XPF tourist tax per person per day (undated rates on its site; checked October 2026)
Remote beach stay
Pension Kao Tiae has 5 beachfront bungalows at Anaho: about 2 hours by car from the airport to Hatiheu, then 20 minutes by speedboat or 1 h 30 on foot. Cash only. Rates on request. Examples: Pension Kao Tiae.10

11 · In the water

Beaches, reef
and open water.

Anaho
White sand bordered by what Tahiti Tourisme calls the only coral platform in the Marquesas — the nearest thing here to a calm swimming beach. No facilities: bring water, food and repellent.11Beach
Hakatea bay
The landing for the Hakaui hike, and the swim stop on the way back to Taiohae on Mate Tourisme's day trip.8Beach
La Sentinelle aux Marteaux
A dive at 20–40 m with manta rays, stingrays and 'lots of' hammerhead sharks; a second dive goes into an ocean cave at 9–37 m. Open-ocean conditions and depth: experienced divers.12Diving
Taiohae dive centres
Nuku Hiva Diving Center works from the small fishermen's quay in Taiohae with a 9.5 m boat, about fifteen sites 10–30 minutes away, and double dives from 07:30 to 12:30. Nuku Dive has operated from the same quay since 2022. Tahiti Tourisme lists both as open in 2026; neither publishes prices there.13Diving
Melon-headed whales and dolphins
The Marquesas' plankton-rich water draws large aggregations of melon-headed whales and spinner dolphins, one of the values cited for the 2024 World Heritage listing. Sightings are weather-dependent; ask the dive centres.14Snorkeling
No lagoon
There is no barrier reef and no lagoon. Open-ocean swell reaches the bays directly, so swimming depends on the day; ask locally before going in, especially at river mouths.15Lagoon

12 · On land

Ashore,
between swims.

  1. 01

    Kamuihei

    Archaeology. A few kilometres from Hatiheu, under a huge banyan: paepae platforms, tiki, me'ae and numerous petroglyphs. Tahiti Tourisme says exploring it properly takes the best part of a day.7

  2. 02

    Hikokua

    Archaeology. Near Hatiheu: a large rectangular tohua (ceremonial square) ringed by paepae that served as public seating, with several tiki and later Christian graves.7

  3. 03

    Hakaui valley to the Vaipo viewpoint

    Hike. Boat from Taiohae to Hakatea bay, then a four-hour round-trip walk. Mate Tourisme runs it daily, 08:30–15:30: 9,000–25,000 XPF (≈ US$88–245) per adult depending on group size, children 5–10 4,500 XPF; lunch extra, cash on site (2026 listing).8

  4. 04

    Hatiheu to Anaho

    Hike. About an hour on a relatively easy trail over a 217 m saddle with views over both bays. The walk back is uphill; a boat does it in 15 minutes.11

  5. 05

    Muake hill

    Viewpoint. The panorama over Taiohae harbour and its bay.2

  6. 06

    Taiohae

    Culture. The Notre-Dame cathedral of the Marquesas and a Herman Melville memorial are in the village; it is also the easiest place to meet carvers and tattooists.2

13 · Food and shopping

What to eat,
and where.

Most visitors eat where they sleep: pensions sell half board, and the hotel restaurant is the one formal option. Excursions usually include a Marquesan lunch in a village; kaaku, pounded breadfruit, is the dish to try. Independent restaurants are few and keep short hours, so book dinner with your pension when you arrive, and carry cash for village lunches.

Shopping. Carving is the thing to buy: wood, bone and stone pieces made on the island, and Marquesan tattoo (patutiki), which has an international reputation. Buy from the carvers in Taiohae or in the villages on a tour. Black pearls are not a Marquesan product — the Tuamotu and Gambier grow nearly all of them — so if you want one, buy in Papeete.

14 · Trip styles

One island,
several trips.

Families
Fine for older children who like walking and boats. Hakaui has a child rate, Anaho is the calmest water, and pension half board removes the dinner problem. Toddlers will find the long transfers and the lack of easy beaches hard going; bring repellent and long sleeves for the nono.
Honeymoons
For couples who want somewhere unlike Bora Bora rather than a version of it. The hotel above Taiohae has the bay view and a pool; add a night at Anaho if you can live without a road.
On a budget
Flights are the big cost. On the ground, half-board pensions, shared boat trips (per-person rates drop sharply from 3 people on the Hakaui day) and a rented 4WD split between friends keep it reasonable. The Aranui is not a budget option.
Nightlife
There is none to speak of: dinner, perhaps a dance show organised for a ship's visit, and early nights before early boats.

15 · Weather by month

Month by month.

January

30° / 24° · sea 28°

Rain about 113 mm. Crowds very low, prices low.

February

31° / 24° · sea 28°

Rain about 104 mm. Crowds very low, prices low.

March

31° / 24° · sea 28°

Rain about 135 mm. Crowds low, prices low.

April

31° / 24° · sea 29°

Rain about 96 mm. Crowds low, prices low.

May

31° / 24° · sea 28°

Rain about 63 mm. Crowds low, prices low.

June

31° / 24° · sea 28°

Rain about 50 mm. Crowds moderate, prices moderate.

July

30° / 23° · sea 28°

Rain about 63 mm. Crowds high, prices high.

August

30° / 23° · sea 27°

Rain about 47 mm. Crowds moderate, prices moderate.

September

30° / 23° · sea 27°

Rain about 29 mm. Crowds moderate, prices low.

October

30° / 24° · sea 27°

Rain about 49 mm. Crowds moderate, prices low.

November

30° / 24° · sea 28°

Rain about 88 mm. Crowds low, prices low.

December

30° / 24° · sea 28°

Rain about 64 mm. Crowds low, prices moderate.

Nuku Ataha airport (Nukuataha Aero, 64 m, north-west) — Météo-France normals 1991–202017. Sea temperature18. Rain is measured at the airport in the dry north-west (900 mm a year); the green valleys and Taiohae are likely wetter. Crowds and prices are editorial scores (1 = low, 5 = high), on a lower baseline than the Society Islands. Crowds follow ISPF's 2024 monthly tourist-nights curve for French Polynesia (lowest January–February and November, peak July). Prices: pension rates barely change through the year (Mave Mai publishes a single rate), so the score mainly reflects flight demand in the July and Christmas school holidays..

16 · Trip length

How long,
and with what.

Four nights is the comfortable minimum: the airport road eats half of the first and last days, and a rough-sea day can cancel a boat. Nuku Hiva pairs naturally with Hiva Oa, 50 minutes away by air — Nuku Hiva for walking and archaeology, Hiva Oa for Gauguin, Brel and the Puamau tiki. With a week or more in the Marquesas, add Ua Pou or Ua Huka. The alternative is the Aranui 5, which shows you all six inhabited islands in 12 days but only a day on each.

17 · Nuku Hiva vs Hiva Oa

Nuku Hiva
or Hiva Oa?

Flights from Tahiti
Nuku Hiva: 3 h 15 minimum, 1,406 km; return from 87,560 XPF (Oct 2026)2
Hiva Oa: 3 h 15 minimum, 1,434 km; return from 96,660 XPF19
Airport to town
Nuku Hiva: About 1 h 30 by road; Mave Mai charges 8,000 XPF per adult return6
Hiva Oa: Airport above Atuona; Relais Moehau charges 3,180 XPF per person return20
People
Nuku Hiva: 3,025 (2022)21
Hiva Oa: 2,371 (2022)21
Rain at the station
Nuku Hiva: 900 mm a year at the dry airport; wettest March17
Hiva Oa: 1,496 mm a year at Atuona; driest September–December22
Swimming
Nuku Hiva: Anaho's white sand and coral platform, by foot or boat11
Hiva Oa: Black-sand Atuona; white sand on Tahuata, by boat23
Signature sites
Nuku Hiva: Kamuihei and Hikokua, the Hakaui walk
Hiva Oa: Gauguin and Brel in Atuona, the Puamau tiki, Upeke at Taaoa
Diving
Nuku Hiva: Two centres in Taiohae; hammerheads and mantas13
Hiva Oa: One centre; caves and mantas24

Verdict. Nuku Hiva for hiking, boats and the bigger archaeological sites; Hiva Oa for the art history and the tiki. They are 50 minutes apart, so on a first Marquesas trip there is little reason to choose. The Hiva Oa guide

18 · Questions

Asked
before booking.

  1. 01

    Is there a lagoon or a reef beach?

    No lagoon and no barrier reef. Anaho, on the north coast, is the one white-sand bay with a coral platform; elsewhere swimming depends on the swell, so ask locally first.

  2. 02

    How do I get from the airport to Taiohae?

    By road, about 1 h 30, with a land carrier, taxi or your pension's driver — there is no shuttle. Book the transfer before you fly; Mave Mai, for instance, charges 8,000 XPF (≈ US$78) per adult return.

  3. 03

    Do I need to rent a car?

    Not if you base yourself in Taiohae and book a driver-guide for Hatiheu and Taipivai and a boat for Hakaui. If you do rent, take a 4WD: the roads are steep and some are rough.

  4. 04

    What are nonos?

    Tiny biting sand flies found on many Marquesan beaches, most active at dawn and dusk near damp sand. Repellent and long sleeves make a real difference.

  5. 05

    Can I reach the foot of the Vaipo waterfall?

    Plan on the viewpoint: guided trips walk four hours return from Hakatea bay to a viewpoint on the fall.

  6. 06

    When is the best time to go?

    September and October are driest at the airport station (29–49 mm a month) and fall outside the July peak. Temperatures barely move all year — highs of 30–31 °C.

Sources · last verified 14 October 2026(34)
  1. Air Tahiti: Minimum connecting time ↗
  2. Air Tahiti: Flights to Nuku Hiva — flight duration, distance, airport, fares and island facts ↗
  3. AeroRoutes: Air Moana Revises Marquesas Islands Operation in NS27 (7 Oct 2026) ↗
  4. Aranui Cruises: Discover the Marquesas — itinerary and cabin prices, departure 7 November 2026 ↗
  5. Tahiti Tourisme: Getting there and getting around in the Marquesas Islands (flights, rental operators) ↗
  6. Pension Mave Mai: Pension Mave Mai — rooms, rates, airport transfers, car rental ↗
  7. Tahiti Tourisme: The tiki and paepae of Hatiheu, Nuku Hiva ↗
  8. Tahiti Tourisme: Mate Tourisme Nuku Hiva — Hakaui valley and sea excursions (updated 7 Jan 2025; open all year 2026) ↗
  9. Le Nuku Hiva: Le Nuku Hiva by Pearl Resorts — 20 bungalows, Taiohae ↗
  10. Tahiti Tourisme: Pension Kao Tiae (Anaho) ↗
  11. Tahiti Tourisme: A long hike then a relaxing day at Anaho ↗
  12. Tahiti Tourisme: La Sentinelle aux Marteaux (dive site, Nuku Hiva) ↗
  13. Tahiti Tourisme: Nuku Hiva Diving Center (updated 28 May 2025; open all year 2026) ↗
  14. IUCN World Heritage Outlook: Te Henua Enata – The Marquesas Islands (World Heritage, inscribed 2024) — conservation outlook ↗
  15. Far & Away Adventures: Marquesas beaches: black sand, bays and where to swim (nono flies, swell; tour-operator guide, no official source found) ↗
  16. Tahiti Tourisme: Pension Moana Nui — pension, restaurant, pizzeria ↗
  17. Météo-France: Fiche climatologique — Nukuataha Aero (98731007), statistiques 1991–2020 et records ↗
  18. seatemperature.info: Nuku Hiva water temperature — monthly averages (aggregator of satellite and in-situ data) ↗
  19. Air Tahiti: Flights to Hiva Oa — flight duration, distance, airport, fares and island facts ↗
  20. Relais Moehau: Tarifs Relais Moehau 2026 — toutes taxes comprises ↗
  21. ISPF: Recensement de la population 2022 — populations légales par commune et commune associée ↗
  22. Météo-France: Fiche climatologique — Hiva-Oa (98723001, Atuona, 51 m), statistiques 1991–2020 et records ↗
  23. Tahiti Tourisme: Hiva Oa ↗
  24. Tahiti Tourisme: Diving in the Marquesas ↗
  25. ISPF: Le bilan du tourisme de l'année 2024 (Points Études et Bilans n° 1489) — monthly tourist nights ↗
  26. Aranui Cruises: Aranui Cruises — Aranui 5 (230 passengers, 103 cabins; 20 Marquesas departures in 2026 and 2027) ↗
  27. Aranui Cruises: Sailing schedule 2026–2027 ↗
  28. Tahiti Tourisme: Nuku Hiva ↗
  29. Tahiti Tourisme: Accommodation in Nuku Hiva (24 listings) ↗
  30. Pearl Resorts: Le Nuku Hiva completes accommodation renovation ↗
  31. Tahiti.com: Le Nuku Hiva by Pearl Resorts (listed under its former name, Nuku Hiva Keikahanui Pearl Lodge) ↗
  32. Tahiti Tourisme: Pension Tokaeva (Hoata valley, Taiohae) ↗
  33. Tahiti Tourisme: Nuku Dive (Taiohae, since 2022) ↗
  34. IEOM: La perliculture en Polynésie française (Études thématiques n° 309, Sep 2020) ↗

Related

Related pages.

Hiva Oa

Marquesas

Hiva Oa

Gauguin's and Brel's graves at Atuona, and the tallest ancient tiki in French Polynesia at Puamau.

Open the island guide
Hiking

Experiences

Hiking

Knife ridges, crater valleys, waterfalls taller than cathedrals.

Read more
Arts

Culture

Arts

Marquesan carving gave the tattoo revival its vocabulary.

Read more
Getting there and around

Plan

Getting there and around

One hub, many spokes, and the freighter that doubles as a cruise.

Read more

Keep wandering.