Mangareva

Mangareva is the main island of the Gambier group in the far southeast, a green ridge inside a large lagoon, and its cathedral at Rikitea is the thing to see: Saint-Michel, built of coral lime in the 1840s under the Picpus mission that ran the island for decades, is very large for the population it served and its altar is inlaid with mother of pearl. The lagoon produces some of the most highly regarded black pearls in the territory.

Background

Mangareva is approximately eight kilometres long and covers 15.4 km2, about 56% of the land of the whole Gambier group, with Taravai to the southwest and Aukena and Akamaru to the southeast. A high ridge runs its length, and Mount Duff, on the south coast, rises to 441 metres, the highest point in the Gambiers. The lagoon is 24 kilometres in diameter, and its reef fish and shellfish helped early islanders survive. Settlement probably dates to around 800 CE, though carbon dating so far reaches only 1160-1220. Heavy logging between the 10th and 15th centuries stripped the island of its forest. The first European visitor, the British captain James Wilson, arrived in 1797 on the ship Duff.

Source: Wikipedia, "Mangareva"

The main sights

• Saint-Michel cathedral - a coral-built church of the 1840s at Rikitea.
• The mother of pearl altar - the inlay work inside the cathedral.
• The pearl farms - the lagoon that produces the territory's most valued black pearls.
• The lagoon - the wide reef enclosing the island group.

When to go

May to October is the dry season. The Gambiers are cooler and more temperate than Tahiti. Flights are long, infrequent and expensive.

What to expect

Getting there means a four-hour flight and then a boat, and services are infrequent. Accommodation is a few pensions. The history of the mission period on the island is contested and not comfortable.

Nearby

The Gambier lagoon surrounds it, and Tahiti is far northwest.

Key facts