New Caledonia Activities

From windsurfing to spear wishing as well as diving, windsurfing and flying over the island in a helicopter, New Caledonia has a virtual treasure trove of activities for you choose from during your stay.

Scuba Dive in the World’s Largest Lagoon. New Caledonia has the largest and most beautiful coral lagoon in the world and the lagoon’s “Great Reef” is the unique home to nearly 2,000 different varieties of fish including 200 unknown species.

The beautiful ocean allows for a relaxing time on the beach as well as an adventurous jet ski ride, surfing or parasailing. The natural terrains and forests provide an exquisite and perfect place for trekking, camping, horseback riding and Tree-walking.

New Caledonia is a sport lovers’ archipelago: almost a quarter of the population has an official license for one sport or another.

Obviously, the warm water of the lagoon, its underwater splendours and the trade winds that rock the coast all seasons, lend themselves to a multitude of activities. The imposing mountain range, which crosses the main island from north to south, is a paradise for hikers. For the lovers of thrills, the choice is vast and spicy!

Sailing

A seasoned marine or sailor for a day, stop dreaming, come, and enjoy the unique experience of sailing on the Caledonian lagoon!
This is one of the rare opportunities to experience the marriage of man and nature with such intensity.

In the heart of a vast maritime space, New Caledonia offers a range of cruises in a magical archipelago. The numerous anchorages are of quality and most sites are still virgins.

Carried by the trade winds, discover a route that takes you from Noumea, the capital, to Houaïlou on the east coast, passing by the Ouen Island, Ile desPins, Lifou, Ouvéa and Hienghène at north-east.

New Caledonia is surrounded by a myriad of coral islands and islets that are sometimes deserts. The Boating Guide of New Caledonia lists no fewer than 150 moorings … the lovers of exotic solitude will find easily an “island at their feet!

Marinas

New Caledonia has several marinas welcoming boaters under excellent conditions of comfort and modernity, for whatever type of boat. Hulls less than 15 feet are welcomed everywhere, both in the marina of the Southern Port in Noumea and elsewhere on the Grande Terre (mainland) and islands.

Port Moselle Marina, in the capital, accepts boats up to a length of 25 meters. Finally, the SuperYachts can moor at the Quai des Scientifiques (Scientists Wharf), at the Quai des Paquebots (CruiselinersWharf) or at the ; Quai du Musée Maritime (MaritimeMuseumWharf).

Luxury Ships

Several luxury ships are calling at Noumea to enjoy the lagoon, refuel, or enjoy for a few days the “French touch” of the capital.

New Caledonia is also a stop for large cruise ships, in world tour or travelling across the Pacific. Several stops allow you to discover another aspect of the islands: Noumea, and its French atmosphere, the Iledes Pins and its turquoise waters, Lifou in Iles Loyauté (the Loyalty Islands) and its protected bays or Poum, in the far north and its original nature.

Diving

An immersion into the magic of the largest and probably the most beautiful lagoon in the world is the opportunity that New Caledonia offers you  … seasoned diver or not, take advantage of this! Forget about everything, wrapped in the majestic silence of the sea.

Diving in New Caledonia, from North to South and in the Loyauté Islands, is an invitation to wonder: the discovery of an unexpected world where everything is colour, curiosity, and where time has no hold.

A multitude of sites and species

The Reef Aboré in the Dumbéa pass, Casy Islet in the Bay of Prony, Epave de la Joliette (the Wreck of Joliette) in Thio, the Rift of Bayes in Poindimié orjardin d’Eden (the Garden of Eden) in the Ile des Pins … A hundred heavenly sites are spread across the archipelago. The places to explore are inexhaustible and the fauna is outstanding: parrots, blue grouper, grouper, eagle rays, reef sharks, lobsters and their local cousins, the “popinée”, as well as turtles and dugongs (sea cows).

Shellfish lovers will also discover a multitude of marine molluscs, including the beautiful porcelain Cyprae Niger, or the conch. Marine life changing amidst a luxuriant and colourful flora, caves lined with bryozoans and sea fans, sponges in unexpected forms, fluorescent corals in corollas, balls or bushes, urchin tiaras , starfish, crinoids …

A well thought activity

No chance to meet other divers while exploring the deep! Far from mass tourism, diving in New Caledonia is a well thought activity, respectful of nature’s treasures, but also of the desires and dispositions of the divers.

The serenity of the ocean is accessible to all. The services offered range from simple introductory to scuba potholing, through baptisms, internships and licenses, to photo essays and night diving.

Hiking

Paradise of a nature preserve, New Caledonia, is the island suited for all kind of trips: on foot, horseback, kayaking, mountain biking (ATV), or swimming. It is an endless playground for nature sports’enthusiasts, who can enjoy a variety of trips organized throughout the year.

The Grande Randonnée (great hiking trail)marked and fitted, crosses the red terrain of the Deep South on 120 km and reaches the gates of the city of Dumbéa. This trail, GRâ is also certified by theFrench Hiking Federation (Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre), which is a guarantee of quality.

An invitation to the discovery of a lunar and unique landscape, which begins at the turquoise of the seashore, continues along the “maquis miniers” – (i.e. a shrub-dominated habitat underlain by ultramafic substrates -the name means ‘mined maquis’, because its rock is mined for nickel) ¹ and is eventually lost in the ancient woodland (primeval forest). All along this journey, the visitor is offered the spectacle of abiodiversity sometimes primeval rich and mysterious, visible in no other place in the world. The lucky ones will have the privilege of seeing a cagou crossing the road, the widespread bird, and the emblem of New Caledonia, which has apparently lost interest in flying.

Farther north on the West coast of Grande Terre, at the intersection of rural communes Sarraméa, Farino and Moindou, the Parc Provincial des Grandes Fougères (ProvincialPark of Great Ferns) is also open to hiking or biking (ATV). The trails of 3 to 8 kilometres through the rainforest will satisfy all the desires, from family outings, to trekking for several days. The park guides are available for giving information on the unique fauna and flora.

The hike can be done anywhere on the Grande Terre (Mainland) and in the islands. This is one way to get to meet the people and discover the diversity of lifestyles, from that of the tribes to the property owners’.

Lovers of horse riding can have their adventure, crossing the channel or admiring the plains of niaoulis.

Blue Hikes

New Caledonia is also, and mainly, the largest lagoon in the world with its immense coral reef. It is a jewel in thousand nuances of blue, listed in the World Heritage by UNESCO in 2008, and whose stunning beauty is accessible to all, equipped only with fins, mask, and snorkel.

A surface trip, sometimes only a few meters from the beach, will reveal to you the depths of a forgotten world of the marine life, soothing and offering a delightful mix of shapes and countless colours. Snorkelling allows you to approach the turtles, rays anddugongs …

And for those who have an adventurous spirit, a sea kayaking trip on the Côte Oubliée (Forgotten Coast) will leave you with unforgettable memories: 4 days on the East Coast of New Caledonia to paddle along a virtually virgin land accessible only by sea.