Fatu Hiva

Fatu Hiva is the southernmost and wettest of the inhabited Marquesas, with no airstrip and two villages, Omoa and Hanavave, joined by a rough road over the ridge. Hanavave sits in the Baie des Vierges, a bay enclosed by basalt pinnacles that missionaries renamed after deciding the original name was indecent. The island keeps a strong tapa-making tradition. It is a named component of the UNESCO listing inscribed in 2024.

What you actually see

• The Bay of Virgins - basalt pinnacles enclosing the bay at Hanavave.
• The tapa making - the bark cloth tradition the island keeps.
• The ridge road - the rough crossing between the two villages.
• The absence of an airstrip - an island reached only by sea.

When to go

May to October is the dry season, though Fatu Hiva is the wettest of the group. Boat crossings from Hiva Oa are long and often rough. The Aranui supply ship calls on a schedule.

Honest expectations

There is no airstrip and the sea crossing takes hours and is frequently rough. Accommodation is a few family pensions. Nono flies here are among the worst in the archipelago.

Nearby

Tahuata is northwest, and Hiva Oa is beyond it.