Nuku Hiva Island in French Polynesia
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Nuku Hiva in French Polynesia is the largest in a group of islands called the Marquesas Islands. Only 3,000 residents live there, who until a few generations ago were still cannibals. Today, thanks to the missionaries who arrived in the 18th century in the area, they became believing Christians. It is a green and wild island with valleys full of tropical vegetation and many fruit trees laden with fruit.
I arrived at this island on a cruise ship which, like in many of the islands in French Polynesia, stands at anchor and you disembark from it with boats to the pier, which here is located in the largest city called Taiohae, where there is a large marina with many yachts and also a large and impressive church. It is recommended to go out here for a private tour of the island in a managed van (there are also tours in open Jeeps) to see the best it has to offer.
In every valley is a settlement of several hundred residents. At the edge of each valley is a sandy bay with a beach, most of them with black sand and quite stormy and wild. In every valley there is also a church and in some of the valleys there is also a river flowing into the sea.
There are also three high waterfalls on the island. Along the entire road there is an abundance of impressive viewpoints.
A trip to the island includes a stop at a place with enormous banyan trees and large rocks with archaeological remains of a place that previously served as both a place of worship and a prison.
The residents of the Marquesas Islands, as befits Polynesians, are fans of music and dancing combined with fire. A troupe of dancers from these islands performs an impressive show for tourists where they wear traditional costumes and drum on a variety of drums and percussion instruments.
Views on a trip to Nuku Hiva Island: