Nukulaelae Atoll

Nukulaelae is a small atoll southeast of Funafuti where Christianity first took hold in Tuvalu, brought by a Cook Islander who came ashore in the 1860s, and the church remains central to the island. Its population was severely reduced in 1863 when labour recruiters took a large number of people away, and the island has carried that memory since. Around three hundred people live there now. The atoll ring is low and narrow, and the ocean is visible from almost anywhere on it.

What's there

• The church - the building at the centre of island life.
• The mission history - where Christianity first reached Tuvalu.
• The narrow lagoon - the enclosed water with its shallow entrance.
• The islets - the low motus around the atoll ring.

When to go

May to October is drier and calmer. Ships run every few weeks at best. November to April is the cyclone season.

Good to know

Sailings are infrequent and getting stuck is normal. There is no accommodation beyond community arrangements. Sunday is observed strictly and visitors should plan around it.

Nearby

Funafuti is northwest, and Niulakita is south.