Ua Pou

Ua Pou is recognisable at a distance from its spires: a dozen basalt plugs standing above the island's ridges, the tallest reaching over a thousand metres, which are the hardened throats of old volcanic vents left after the softer rock eroded away. The main village, Hakahau, sits in a bay on the northern coast. The island has a strong carving and music tradition, and it is a named component of the UNESCO listing inscribed in 2024.

History

Ua Pou is the only major island of the Marquesas that was unified under a single ruler before Europeans arrived, reportedly around 1585, and excavations from 1982 at the Anapua rock shelter near Hakatao show that its first settlers lived under rock overhangs and ate mainly fish; later, tribal principalities grew in the valleys, among them Hakamoui and Paumea, whose stone house platforms still stand. In 1791 the American Joseph Ingraham saw it from afar and named it Adams Island, and the French navigator Étienne Marchand anchored off it on 20 June 1791 for three days; the name Ua Pou means two pillars, after its spires. The arrival of the Nantucket whaler Tuscan on 4 March 1835 began years of visits by whalers and traders who brought firearms and alcohol (Wikipedia, Ua Pou).

What's there

• The basalt spires - a dozen volcanic plugs standing above the ridges.
• Hakahau - the main village and bay on the northern coast.
• The carving tradition - the wood and stone work the island is known for.
• The flower stones - the phonolite pebbles with flower-like inclusions found here.

When to go

May to October is the dry season. Cloud often hides the tops of the spires. Flights are limited and expensive.

What to expect

Cloud sits on the spires much of the time. Flights and ferries are infrequent. Accommodation is limited to a few pensions.

Nearby

Nuku Hiva is north, and Hiva Oa is southeast.

Key facts