Anaho Bay

Anaho is the most sheltered anchorage in the Marquesas, a bay on the northern coast of Nuku Hiva enclosed by ridges with a beach of pale sand and the only coral reef of any size in the archipelago, since the Marquesas generally lack them. No road reaches it: the way in is a walk of about ninety minutes over the ridge from Hatiheu or a boat. A few families live in the bay and take guests. Nuku Hiva is a named component of the UNESCO listing.

The landscape

• The sheltered bay - the most protected anchorage in the archipelago.
• The coral reef - the only significant reef in the Marquesas.
• The ridge walk - the ninety-minute crossing from Hatiheu.
• The absence of a road - a bay reached only on foot or by sea.

When to go

May to October is the dry season and best for the walk. The crossing is hot and exposed at midday. Nono flies are worst at dawn and dusk.

Practical notes

There is no road and everything comes in on foot or by boat. Nono flies on the beach bite badly and the marks last. Facilities are limited to a couple of family pensions.

Nearby

Hatiheu is over the ridge, and Taiohae is south.