La Foa

La Foa sits on the dry west coast about ninety minutes north of Nouméa and is best known for two things: the Marguerite bridge, a slender suspension footbridge of 1909 built to a Gustave Eiffel company design and now kept as a monument beside its replacement, and an annual film festival held in the town since 1989 that draws audiences from across the territory. The country around is cattle station land.

Background

In the Xârâcùù language the town is called Foha. La Foa is a commune of the South Province, and the administrative subdivision of the South has its chief town here. The 2019 census counted 3552 inhabitants. The commune covers 464.0 square kilometres and rises from 0 m to 1058 m. The average annual temperature is 22.7 °C. February is the warmest month, at around 26.5 °C, and also the wettest, while July averages around 18.9 °C. Rainfall totals 1128.4 mm a year. The highest temperature on record is 38.0 °C, measured on 12 December 1952, and the lowest is 4.2 °C, on 29 July 1968.

Source: Wikipedia, "La Foa"

What's there

• The Marguerite bridge - the 1909 suspension footbridge kept beside the modern crossing.
• The film festival - the annual event held in the town since 1989.
• The cattle country - the dry west coast station land around the town.
• The town centre - the small commercial core on the main road.

When to go

April to November is the dry season. The film festival is usually held in June or July. Summer is hot on this coast.

What to expect

The town is small and half a day covers it. The bridge is a short stop rather than a destination. Facilities close early outside festival time.

Nearby

Fort Teremba is north, and Sarraméa is inland.

Key facts