Identity card of the island
The Isle of Pines is located outside the New Caledonian lagoon. It covers 152 km² and has a little more than 2000 inhabitants, the Kunié, divided into different clans. In the southeast, Vao is the main town.
Between 1872 and 1880, the island hosted more than 3000 convicts deported to the prison administration. The landscape today is marked by the presence of several species of wood âeuros pines or araucarias, banyan trees, kohus and bugnys âeuros and many bays, lined with white sand and translucent waters.
On the whole island, there is no sale of alcohol. Its consumption will be done only in the bars-restaurants of the few hotels.
Quiet anchorage in Kuto Bay
If you want to stop for a few hours or stay in a boat on the Isle of Pines, anchoring is only allowed in the southwest of the island, in Kuto Bay. Here, the water depth is between 4 and 10 meters. There are no buoys, and it is necessary to put the anchor in the sandy bottom.
In general, the anchorage is quite quiet, even when cargo and passenger boats dock along the pier. It can be a bit rolly during periods of heavy swellâeuros¦ The bay next to it is called the bay of rollers!
A hotel is located on the beach, in front of the mooring area. It is possible to have a drink or a meal there. Along the road to the north, a small grocery store and a bakery are also within walking distance.
The bay of Kanumera, in the immediate vicinity
Just on the other side of the small peninsula, Kanumera Bay also offers beautiful landscapes. It is pleasant to walk around and, depending on the wind, it is preferable to Kuto Bay to enjoy the beach or water activities such as paddle or kayak.
Please note that anything flying is taboo on the island, or forbidden: flying a drone and kite-surfing are among them. You should also be careful not to climb the sacred rock in the bay!
Discover the island from the mooring area
On the docks of Kuto Bay, near the landing stage, carvers work on Bugny. Talking to them offers a glimpse of this impressive skill and an insight into the local culture.
It is also possible to go hiking: in about 2h30 on foot from the bay of Kuto, the ascent of the 262 m high Pic N'Ga allows the discovery of several magnificent viewpoints on the Isle of Pines and the different bays.
To go further, it is possible to borrow mountain bikes, cars or scooters from the surrounding hotels and campsites. The tour of the island allows you to cross the different tribes, to discover the village of Vao and the church of Notre Dame de l'Assomption, the bay of Saint-Maurice with numerous totems carved by all the clans of the island, the natural swimming pool of the bay of Oro, the caves and the vestiges of the time of the prison.
And for those who want to discover a new way of sailing, dugout canoes are available from the traditional wood construction site located in the bay of Saint-Joseph.
