Omoa, Fatu Hiva, Marquesas Islands

POINTS OF INTEREST

Omoa Village
The village of Omoa is the administrative center of Fatu Hiva. Here, you will find a pretty church and the Musée Grelet, a small private museum founded by a 19th-century Swiss immigrant to this island. Exhibits include war clubs and spears, adzes, tikis, stone pestles, and carved-wood koka’a bowls. Fatu Hiva is renowned for its handicrafts, especially tapa (decorated beaten bark cloth). During your stay, you may see artists at work on tapa and other crafts, including hand-painted pareos and monoi, a scented coconut oil. The area around Omoa Village also features many ancient petroglyphs, or rock art. Among them is one of the largest in the Marquesas: that of the famous paoa, which looks like a huge tuna fish carved into the rock. A guided hike to the petroglyphs is available as an excursion from The Gauguin.

Hanavave & the Bay of Virgins
Fatu Hiva’s other main settlement, Hanavave, lies on one of the most beautiful bays in the world, the Bay of Virgins, and the ten-mile road linking Hanavave to Omoa Village is a wonderland of scenic delights. Behold towering cliffs, plunging waterfalls, steep gorges and valleys, and luxuriant vegetation along the way. A scenic drive between Omoa Village and Hanavave is available as a shore excursion from The Gauguin.

View cruises that visit this port

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Population: 587 (2007)

Language: French, Marquesan

Currency: XPF

Scheduled Docking Location: Anchored, tender to the pier in the village of Omoa.

Shopping: Omoa Village has two small food stores. Handicrafts can be purchased directly from the artists in Omoa Village. Fatu Hiva is the leading producer of tapa (decorated beaten bark cloth) in French Polynesia.

Banks / ATMs: There are no banks on Fatu Hiva, and credit cards are not accepted. Cash: best to have local currency (XPF).

Post Office: In Omoa Village.

Internet/Wi-Fi: Wifi available at the tourism office in Omoa Village, the charge is $500 xpf per day.

Airport Transportation: There is no airport on Fatu Hiva.

Taxis: No taxis on the island. Private 4x4s with drivers can be arranged via the tourism office. Drivers do not speak English.

Port Agent Contact:
Office: +689 (40) 86-51-32
Mobile: +689 (87) 29-25-02

Shore Excursions at this port

Below is a list of those shore excursions previously offered in this port. For information on which shore excursions will be offered on a particular cruise, please reference the specific itinerary of that cruise.

Omoa Petroglyphs Walk

Duration:

3 Hours - $85

Set in a luscious native forest within a picturesque valley is an ancient ceremonial site where Marquesans prayed to their gods to provide abundant water for their crops. Trekking up to the site you will pass an old chief's paepae upon which is a small tiki carved in the famous ke'etu stone of the islands. Ascending inland you will see a number of sites whose functions will be explained to you by your on-board lecturer in anthropology and archaeology, Mark Eddowes. Finally you will arrive on the crest of a ridge featuring important petroglyphs, or rock art. The images depict anthropomorphic images of men, concentric circle eyes of magical tikis and even an ancient sailing canoe. However, the most impressive petroglyph and one of the largest in the Marquesas is that of the famous paoa, which looks like a huge tuna fish, carved into the rock. See also the grinding, polishing and sharpening stones used in ancestral working of adzes and other tools. Enjoy the magnificent scenery surrounding the site as sharp mountain peaks pierce the sky. This excursion provides a wonderful chance to visit the interior of Fatu Hiva's beautiful Omoa Valley.

Please note: The hike is medium to difficult and involves uphill walking in hot and humid conditions. Participants should be physically fit, carry a bottle of water and wear a hat. Sturdy footwear appropriate to trekking is recommended.

Excursion Code:

FHT-2045

Scenic Drive to Hanavave

Duration:

3.5 Hours - $75

Fatu Hiva, the most remote island of the inhabited Marquesan islands offers green and lush vegetation with sheer, rocky landscapes. There are only two villages on the island connected by one road (17 km). The scenic 4x4 ride from Omoa to Hanavave offers numerous photo opportunities over dramatic landscapes, coastline and deep gorges and valleys. On arrival in Hanavave you will have some free time to stretch your legs and explore the village and take more photos of one of the most picturesque locations in the Marquesas, the iconic Bay of Virgins. The bay was named by Catholic missionaries, who said that the phallic shaped stone outcrops were formed as veiled virgins.

Please note: As this tour involves rough off-road driving, it is not recommended for guests with back and/or neck problems, who suffer from motion sickness or vertigo or women who are pregnant. This tour involves very little walking. Guests are encouraged to wear insect repellant to ward off the small beach mosquitoes (nonos). Each vehicle will accommodate four guests. The drivers are not guides, and their command of the English language is very limited.

Excursion Code:

FHT-2060

SCUBA Fatu Hiva - Active Advanced Certified Divers with Deep Diver Specialty

Duration:

2 Hours - $120

Board the dive boat at the gangway to sail in direction of the dive site located approximately 20 minutes away from the ship with a very nice scenic ride along the coast passing by the Bay of Virgins. You will receive your safety briefing on the way. Once arrived at the dive site you will be helped to gear up and you will follow the instructors signal to roll into the water. The maximum depth of this dive is around 100 feet. You may have the chance to observe scorpion fish, endemic moray eels, schools of fish, pelagic and lobsters in a small cave.

This dive is for Advanced Certified Divers with Deep Diver Specialty only due to the condition (depth, surge, current and reduced visibility). There is no reference line to descend and divers should have a minimum of 50 logged dives to sign up and recent diving experience. (The Deep Diver Specialty certification is available onboard for $99.)

Available for onboard booking only, cannot pre-reserve, please visit the Dive Desk once onboard, capacity is limited. For more information about our dive program, visit www.pgcruises.com/scuba

Excursion Code:

FHT-2075