Hatiheu

Hatiheu sits in a bay on Nuku Hiva's northern coast below a wall of basalt spires, one of them carrying a statue of the Virgin placed in 1872. Robert Louis Stevenson anchored here and wrote about it. Behind the village lie some of the most substantial restored ceremonial sites in the Marquesas: Hikokua, Kamuihei and Tehueto, with stone platforms, tiki, petroglyphs and enormous banyans. Nuku Hiva is a named component of the UNESCO listing.

The main sights

• Hikokua and Kamuihei - restored ceremonial platforms with tiki and petroglyphs.
• The banyans - the enormous trees standing over the ceremonial ground.
• The basalt spires - the rock towers above the village, one topped by a statue.
• The bay - the anchorage Stevenson wrote about.

When to go

May to October is the dry season. The road over the interior is rough and can be difficult after rain. The Marquesas arts festival rotates between islands.

Things to know

The road from Taiohae crosses the interior and is rough and winding. Interpretation at the sites is limited. Nono flies are a persistent nuisance.

Nearby

Anaho Bay is over the ridge, and Taiohae is south.

Key facts