Command Ridge

Command Ridge, rising to a modest but commanding 65 metres, is the highest point on the tiny island of Nauru and its finest viewpoint. This rugged limestone height in the island's interior offers sweeping panoramas across the whole of the small nation, from its ring of coastal settlements and beaches to the rugged, pinnacled interior and the vast Pacific Ocean stretching to every horizon. The ridge is dotted with relics of the Second World War, including old guns and a rusting steel lookout, silent reminders of the island's strategic past. Reached by a short climb, Command Ridge provides the best overview of Nauru's compact, distinctive landscape and a quiet, atmospheric encounter with its history, a rewarding stop on this remote island.

History

During the Second World War the ridge held a Japanese communications bunker, whose walls still carry Japanese writing, and rusted guns from that time remain on the ridge, the highest point of the island at 65 metres (Wikipedia, Command Ridge).

What's there

• The panoramic views - the vistas over the whole island and ocean.
• The wartime relics - the old guns and rusting lookout.
• The limestone height - the rugged island summit.
• The island overview - the best view of Nauru's compact landscape.

When to go

April to October, the drier season, brings the clearest weather and best views from the ridge, avoiding the wetter months; the equatorial climate is warm year-round. Clear days offer the finest panoramas over the island and the surrounding Pacific.

Before you go

Command Ridge is a modest height with simple, weathered wartime relics rather than a grand monument, so its appeal is the panoramic overview and quiet history more than dramatic sights. As the highest point and finest viewpoint on tiny, remote Nauru, offering sweeping island and ocean vistas amid atmospheric wartime relics, though, Command Ridge is a genuinely worthwhile stop.

Nearby

Buada Lagoon and the coastal districts of Nauru lie below.

Key facts