The Marquesas: Land of the Lost
The Marquesas: The youngest of French Polynesia’s five archipelagos. These volcanic islands stand tall above the water, covered in lush mountains and dramatic cliffs. At less than six million years old, these islands haven’t yet formed their fringing reefs, so there are no lagoons and very little coral. Instead, the Marquesas are surrounded by deep green waters and offer some of the most stunning landscapes you’ll ever see.
At a mere 1.3 million years old, our favorite island also happens to be the most recently formed. Only accessible by boat, Fatu Hiva is smallcompared to its neighbors, but its prehistoric King Kong landscapes will reward anyone who makes the journey. It’s hard not to see tribal masks and stoic faces in every jagged cliff, as if carved by ancient gods and not surreptitious wind.
We anchored in the Bay of Virgins and set off to explore. Our first hike was up to a giant waterfall about a 40 minute walk from town. Hugh described it best:
The waterfall was something out of a dream. You twist up a little trail, duck under an overhanging rock, and on the other side is a waterfall that must’ve been 400 to 500 feet tall. The pool at the bottom was deep, perfect for swimming. All around you are vertical cliffs where the waterfall’s impact has bored through the rock for millions of years. We swam under the fall, did a few laps, and Michelle talked me out of diving off any cliffs.
Another hike on Fatu Hiva takes you up the main road across the island. Steep switchbacks will test your lungs, but every corner offers a jaw-dropping view. Snow-white mountain goats (a delicacy on the island for locals patient and skilled enough to catch one) balance gracefully on the surrounding cliffs. The only thing missing is a flying Pterodactyl. Honestly, if a Unicorn makes an appearance, you won’t be surprised. This place is from another world.
On top of being just drop dead gorgeous, Fatu Hiva is also home to Polynesia’s top wood sculptors. We stumbled, by chance, upon Sopi and his brother carving Tikis out of rosewood on their front lawn. These representations of the first man from Maori mythology are a common subject for local woodcrafts men, but we fell in love with Sopi’s modern designs. We ended up sailing back to Fatu Hiva a second time just to visit Sopi and his family again, and pick up some more of his amazing art.
The island of Nuku Hiva is no slouch either. A guided tour of the largest Marquesas island will bring you past remnants of maraes (sacred/religious/community meeting grounds) lined with the tikis and mango trees, a sacrificial podium where human sacrifices (typically males captured from neighboring villages) were offered to the gods, and turn after turn of rivers, waterfalls, emerald valleys and verdant mountains. And if you’re very lucky, you’ll cap off your visit with a swim in one of the islands several protected bays surrounded by a fever of 12 foot feeding manta rays.