Hakaui Valley and Vaipo Waterfall

The Hakaui valley cuts into Nuku Hiva between basalt walls that close to a few hundred metres apart, and at its head the Vaipo falls drop around three hundred and fifty metres in a thin ribbon, among the highest in French Polynesia. The walk in from the beach follows the valley floor past stone platforms of an abandoned settlement, crossing the river repeatedly. Nuku Hiva is a named component of the UNESCO listing inscribed in 2024.

The landscape

• The Vaipo falls - a ribbon of around three hundred and fifty metres at the valley head.
• The basalt walls - the valley narrowing between vertical rock faces.
• The abandoned settlement - stone platforms along the valley floor.
• The river crossings - the fords the walk makes repeatedly.

When to go

May to October is the dry season and the safest window. Flow is strongest after rain but so is the danger. The walk needs a guide and settled weather.

Things to know

The river rises fast after rain and the crossings become impassable; people have been caught out. The base of the fall is subject to rockfall. Nono flies on the beaches bite badly.

Nearby

Taiohae is east, and Hatiheu is north.