Cap N'Dua

Cap N'Dua is the southern tip of the main island, a reserve of maquis minier on red earth ending in cliffs above the lagoon, and between July and September humpback whales come into the southern lagoon to calve, which can be watched from an observation point on the cape without a boat. A lighthouse stands on the point and short trails run along the clifftop. The endemic scrub around holds plants found nowhere else.

What you actually see

• The whale watching - humpbacks in the southern lagoon from July to September.
• The observation point - the built vantage on the cape above the water.
• The maquis minier - the endemic scrub on red laterite around the cape.
• The lighthouse - the light on the point at the island's southern end.

When to go

July to September is the humpback season and the reason to come. Outside it the cape is quiet. The road is rough after rain.

Honest expectations

Whale sightings are not guaranteed and can be distant even in season. The road out is unsealed and rough. There is no shade or facility on the cape.

Nearby

Prony is north, and Nouméa is northwest.