Hiva Oa Island

Hiva Oa, or Hivaʻoa, was once the administrative capital of the Marquesas Islands, but it has lost that duty to Nuku Hiva to the north. Hiva Oa is still the most important island of the southern islands of the archipelago.

Hiva Oa was the place where both Paul Gauguin and Belgian singer/poet Jacques Brel finally settled.

There are many archaeological sites, petroglyphs and giant stone tikis on the island.

Points of interest

The main town on Hiva Oa is Atuona. It has a Catholic church and a Protestant church, as well as all sorts of facilities such as a bank and a post office. Cruise ships that visit the island, dock in the harbour of Atuona.
- The Atuona Cultural Center is dedicated to painter Paul Gauguin. It displays copies of his paintings. His house is adjacent to the cultural center and has been beautifully reconstructed. Some of his personal belongings are on display there.
- There are several monuments and relics in Atuona to commemorate Paul Gauguin, as well as Jacques Brel, who also retired there.
- The Cimetière Calvaire (Calvaire Cemetery) is located on a hill above Atuona. It holds the graves of Gauguin and Jacques Brel. The graveyard provides excellent views over Atuona, Ta'aoa Bay and their surroundings.
The Eiaone Valley features interesting semi-relief petroglyphs. They are hard to see, as most of them are overgrown by dense undergrowth. The valley is west of Puamau.
Ipona, or Oipona, is the most iportant historical site in the Marquesas. It is located in the Puamau Valley and it used to be a place of worship. You can see several tikis at the site.
The Marae Takii comprises 3 overlapping terraces with 8 stone statues and cyclopean heads. The largest statue is the 2.43 m tall guardian spirit Tiki Takai'i. The Maki'i Taua Pepe, depicts a priestess or goddess giving birth. The statues have been beautifully restored.
The Punae Valley, or Punai Valley, boasts petroglyphs, stone images and platforms. It is located east of Atuona.
Puamau is a small town, some 45 km from Atuona. The drive on the steep and winding road takes about 2.5 hours. There is a large ceremonial platform on the outskirts of the town. It is said to be the burial place of Queen Vahine Titoiani. Large stone tikis are carved on two corners of the platform.
The Ta'aoa Valley features numerous ceremonial platforms, but they are somewhat covered in undergrowth and hard to see. There are several tikis in the lush valley, which is filled with banyan trees, coconut palms, Barringtonia asiatica, breadfruit trees, mango trees and Tahitian chestnuts. The Ta'aoa Valley is located to the west of Atuona.
In the Tahauku Valley you can see petroglyphs, stone images and platforms. The valley lies to the east of Atuona.
The Vustin River Valley features more of these statues.

Hiva Oa is the 2nd-largest of the Marquesas Islands. Its highest point is the 1,269 m (4,163 ft) high Mont Temetiu volcano. The island is about 1,400 km northeast of Papeete.

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