Writer:Terry Ward

After disembarking in Taioha’e and walking toward the town’s main road, it’s impossible not to stumble across the island’s main fruit and handicraft markets (they’re right across from each other and housed in a complex with a thatched roof made of pandanus). At the fruit market, ask for Christiane Taupotini, who grows mangoes, pamplemousse and passionfruit on her farm just outside of town, and gladly proffers samples. She can point you to some fun edible souvenirs to bring home, including Marquesan honey and guava confiture. At the handicraft market, works by 23 artists from across the archipelago include rosewood and walnut carvings from Nuku Hiva, tapas from Fatu Hiva made of banyan tree bark cloth, and oars and spears from Tahuata, the smallest of the inhabited islands in the Marquesas. Sisters Mau and Hina Huukkena make pretty earrings and necklaces from the red-bead tree’s scarlet red seeds as well as other items (shark vertebrae, sea urchin spines) they find washed up along the beaches. They can guide you through what’s for sale on the many tables belonging to each artisan, since not every seller is present every day.

Explore Taipivai Valley and Hatiheu Bay with a local guide

Born in 1975 in the Taipivai Valley on Nuku Hiva, 12 years before electricity came to his remote village, local guide William Teikitohe (reachable via phone or text at +689 87 278 227) is an invaluable resource for getting past the surface layer of his homeland. He can lead cruise guests on private half-day tours in his 4x4 truck through the agriculture-rich Taipivai Valley, where papaya, mango, avocado, and cocoa trees grow and waterfalls cascade down the mountainsides. He also takes visitors snorkeling off the white sand beach at Anaho Bay, on the island’s remote north coast, and to see petroglyphs at Tohua Koueva, where ancient ceremonies and rituals were performed in an open gathering place. Teikitohe practices traditional Marquesan dance and will happily demonstrate the Marquesan Haka dance, noting its differences from the Maori version in New Zealand. Request a lunch stop at Chez Yvonne, fronting the gorgeous beach at Hatihue Bay (where you should definitely go for a swim after). Breadfruit, fresh fish, and goat dishes are always on the menu, and afterwards you can see the freshwater eels that gather for leftovers in the nearby creek.

Go for a dip at a stunning beach

Bring your bathing suit and a beach towel for one of the easiest and most scenic walks you can take from the quai. It’s a ten-minute stroll uphill to Tiki Tuhiva, where a looming — and some locals would argue garish — statue of two tiki dreamed up by a French artist was inaugurated in 2017. It lords over Tuhiva Hill, a beautiful lookout with picnic tables where you can enjoy postcard-worthy views of Taioha’e Bay. (We recommend grabbing a chocolate croissant and mini baguette with melted cheese and ham from Boulangerie Snack Joseph, located along the main coastal road, before heading up.) From Tuhiva, it’s about a 10-minute walk downhill and around the corner to reach a swimming spot that’s more appealing than the town beach along Taioha’e Bay. The black sand Plage de Kuvea has far fewer boats at anchor and is particularly pleasant at low tide to lay out your towel and wade in for a swim surrounded by the verdant headlands.