Majuro

Majuro, the capital of the Marshall Islands, is one of the most extraordinary capital cities on earth, a long, impossibly thin ribbon of coral islets, in places only a few dozen metres wide and barely two metres above the ocean, curving for kilometres to enclose a huge, calm lagoon. Home to much of the country's population, it is the urban, governmental and cultural hub of this remote Pacific nation, with a single main road running its length. The Alele Museum preserves the islands' rich seafaring heritage, and the lagoon offers swimming, snorkelling and boat trips, while the whole precarious setting is a vivid reminder of a nation on the front line of rising seas.

History

The atoll has been lived on for at least 2,000 years: earth ovens dug up at Laura village give radiocarbon dates of 93 BC to 127 AD. Missionaries of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions set up a church and school here in 1869, and by 1876 several firms were trading copra on the atoll (Wikipedia, Majuro).

What you'll find

• The ribbon atoll - the thin islets enclosing the vast lagoon.
• The Alele Museum - the seafaring and cultural heritage.
• The lagoon - the swimming, snorkelling and boat trips.
• Laura Beach - the beach at the atoll's quieter end.

When to go

December to April tends to be slightly drier and is a reasonable time to visit, though the Marshalls are warm and humid year-round; Majuro is reached by long flights, and its lagoon, beaches and museum are easily explored, with the quieter Laura end offering the best beach. The atoll's precarious, low-lying setting is striking at any time.

What to expect

Majuro is a remote, developing and densely populated urban atoll with limited facilities and few conventional sights, so its appeal is the extraordinary experience of its ribbon-thin, barely-above-sea-level setting, its lagoon and its role as the cultural hub rather than beauty or attractions; it also faces serious challenges from overcrowding and, acutely, from rising seas. As the fascinating, precarious capital of a remote and little-visited Pacific nation, though, Majuro is a genuinely striking and thought-provoking place.

Nearby

The outer atolls, the diving reefs and the other Marshall islands are reached by air and boat.

Key facts