Wanderlust Travel Magazine (UK)
History & archaeology
Explore ancient sacred sites and follow in the footsteps of Paul Gauguin
Duration: 12-16 days
Best for: History, adventure, art, traditional folklore, culture
Route: Tahiti, Huahine, Raiatea, Hiva Oa, Nuku Hiva
Why do it: To get in touch with the spiritual and physical past of the islands.
Take a voyage through complex social hierarchies, hear local myths and legends and get a feel for French Polynesia’s ancient soul on a route via the country’s
maraes (sacred sites) and museums. Start on Tahiti with a 4WD tour through Papenoo. This hard-to-access valley was once heavily populated, and is home to two beautifully restored archaeological sites: Marae Farehape and Marae Anapua. Guides will help bring the old stone foundations, archery court and irrigation systems to life.you’ll also visit the country’s only lake and take in glorious mountain scenery.
The stone platforms of Marae Maeva on Huahine, also in the Society Islands, are spread along the coast and hillside. Tours are available with expert guide Paul Atallah (Island Ecotours) and there’s an excellent museum that’s filled with artefacts. Don’t miss the centuries-old V-shaped fish traps just beyond the marae, that are still in use today.
One of the most important temples in Polynesia is the UNESCO World Heritage-listed site of Taputapuatea, on Raiatea, the second-largest of the Society Islands. This sprawling lagoon-front complex is over 1,000 years old. An important political, ceremonial and funerary centre, it once hosted voyagers from around the Polynesian Triangle. Hike up the newly cut trail on the hillside behind the marae for a view over the whole complex.
Finish on the Marquesas. Lush, rugged Hiva Oa, the archipelago’s second-largest island, is home to arguably the most magnificent ancient sites in the country: take a 4WD tour to visit towering stone tiki (carved figures), mosscovered birthing stones and giant platforms shaded by banyan trees. If you can, book a trip that includes lunch, usually a Marquesan feast of goat and coconut milk stew, baked breadfruit and poisson cru, served in a local family’s home. Afterwards, visit the Paul Gauguin Cultural Centre and Calvaire Cemetery (where Gauguin is buried) – the artist spent his last years on Hiva Oa.
Nuku Hiva, the largest of the Marquesas, also has several archaeological gems, the best being the three connecting sites of Kamuihei, Tahakia and Teiipoka. Take a few hours to explore this mystical-feeling valley, which is dotted with numerous ua ma (stone pits where breadfruit was fermented and stored), around 500 petroglyphs and a few banyan trees that are estimated to be over 600 years old. Nuku Hiva also has some excellent hiking trails that lead across barren hills where you’ll find wild mountain goats and cool ocean breezes, and get magnificent views over steel-blue seas. For a more tropical wander, make the easy one-hour walk from Hatiheu to Anaho, which rewards with the most beautiful white-sand beach in the Marquesas.