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Our comprehensive new caledonia travel guide will be launched in December 2008. If you would like to contribute your own travel stories or recommendations, please contact us.

New Caledonia Travel Guide
Country Facts Total islands: 12 Total land mass: 18,575 km² Capital: Noumea Main Island: Grand Terre Int'l Airport: Tontouta Population: 240,000 Language: French, Kanak Tourists: 102,000 per year Accommodations: 50 Money: CFP , Euro	Travel Highlights 1) Chic Noumea Town 2) Beaches of Iles de Pines 3) Kanak Culture 4) OLaid Back Ouvea Island 5) Anse Vata Bay, Noumea 6) Horseriding on La Foa 7) Cultural Centre, Noumea 8) La Roche Rock, GT 9) Voh Natural Heart 10) Amedee Island Lighthouse

New Caledonia Travel Overview

New Caledonia is situated in the south western Pacific, just north of the tropic of Capricorn, and is the most southern of the Melanesian nations. Grand Terre is by far the largest island, being 400km long and just 50km wide, and unlike all other islands in the Pacific, it was once joined to Australia and broke away about 140 million years ago.


Tourism is centred around the charming port town of Noumea on the southern end of the island, with its french style boulevards and cafes, plush shopping and fine restaurants. The northern part of Grand Terre is mountainous with tropical rain forest abnd extensive Nikel mines in the intyerior and a more traditional village system and culture along the coast.

For those looking for beaches, the Iles des Pins about 50km to the southeast of Noumea has sublime beaches whilst retaining its rich traditional village system. The Loyalty islands, notably Lifou and Mare, also have lovely beaches with limestone cliffs and good scuba diving.


see also Wallis & Futuna Islands

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