5 Things to Know About the Marquesas Islands

In late February, as TMR arrived onboard Star Breeze for Windstar’s launch of year-round motor yacht cruising in Tahiti, news of three cyclones bearing down on the region sent the ship’s captain and crew into behind-the-scenes meetings that ultimately culminated in a completely recreated itinerary. Instead of spending 10 days in and around the Society Islands, we headed to the Marquesas Islands, a remote archipelago in French Polynesia that is rarely visited. 

Because they’re so rarely visited — and are associated with such famous figures as Paul Gauguin and Herman Melville — they have a mysterious aura that puts them on many travelers’ bucket lists. 

But what should travel advisors know about the Marquesas Islands when planning a client’s trip to visit them?

After four days in the region, with stops at three of the six inhabited islands (there are 12 total), we have a better understanding of what the Marquesas Islands are all about. 

Here are five things you should know about the Marquesas.

1. They’re remote.
The Marquesas Islands is right up there at the top of the list of most remote inhabited areas of the world. The closest continental landmass is some 3,000 miles away (in Mexico). The closest landmass in general is a little northeast of Tahiti, and that’s 850 miles away.

For comparison’s sake, the most remote inhabited landmass in the world is the island of Tristan Da Cunha in the South Atlantic Ocean, which is 1,514 miles away from its nearest landmass neighbor of Saint Helena. But its nearest continental landmass is 1,732 miles away in Africa – much closer than the Marquesas are to a continental landmass.

What does this mean for travelers visiting the Marquesas?

It takes over three hours to fly from Tahiti to Marquesas’ main island of Nuku Hiva – and there are limited flights each week.

When visiting by cruise ship, it takes two days to get from Tahiti to the Marquesas, though ships may stop at one of the smaller Society or Tuamotus islands on the way there and/or on the way back. Clients wanting to visit the Marquesas must be prepared for at least one sea day before and after their Marquesas port visits.

Because they’re more remote, the Marquesas are also less developed. 

2. It’s not Tahiti
The Marquesas Islands may be in French Polynesia and though many people equate French Polynesia with Tahiti, the Marquesas are not Tahitian. They’re Marquesan, which is a different culture with a different language, different dances, and even different tattoos.

“Hello” in Tahitian is la orana. Don’t say that in the Marquesas though. They won’t answer. There it’s ka oha.

Want to see a traditional bird dance (haka manu)? You won’t see it in Tahiti. That’s specific to the Marquesas.

On the other hand, if you want so see the unique ways in which French and Polynesian culture have woven together particularly in new culinary traditions? Clients will have to be in Tahiti for that.

While the differences between the two cultures won’t be overtly obvious to most clients, and may not even register at all, it’s important to remind clients to be aware of the differences when interacting with local people. Saying hello in the wrong language could get you a nasty look.

3. Active activities take a backseat to culture, history
Because the islands that make up the Marquesas archipelago are younger than the others in French Polynesia, they do not have the large coral reefs that characterize the rest of French Polynesia. As a result, there isn’t the abundance of colorful underwater life you find around the other islands, which makes snorkeling less attractive. There is, however, an abundance of sharks, eels, and stingrays. (There is only one dive center in the whole of the Marquesas – on Hiva Oa.)

Also, because the islands get significantly less visitors, there is not much infrastructure in place for active touristic activities. There are less than a handful of companies that offer tours. (There are also way fewer residents. As of the 2017 census, the population of the six inhabited islands combined was less than 10,000 people.)

During Star Breeze’s stay in the Marquesas the focus was entirely on the history and culture of the islands. There are several archeologically significant spots, particularly on Hiva Oa including a site that has more than one thousand tiki statues. Most cruises will provide guided tours that give visitors a greater understanding of the islands’ history and Marquesan culture. Additional options outside of these tours (often just a few hours in length) are limited.

On Hiva Oa, visitors can walk to Paul Gauguin’s grave site (Belgian singer Jacques Brel is also buried in the same cemetery), as well as visit the Paul Gauguin Museum, which houses copies of several Gauguin masterpieces.

4. There’s limited shopping
This may seem a little shallow, but many people associate French Polynesia with shopping, particularly for black pearls. You won’t get that in the Marquesas. Stores on the islands are there for the locals, carrying everything people need to get by. Stores are interesting to browse through (and you can get super inexpensive tropical-print button up shirts), but you won’t find many souvenirs to take home.

On the days that ships are in port, there’s usually a small craft market set up somewhere along the main tour route, offering mostly jewelry made from painted beads, along with some carvings and monoi oil.

Clients interested in shopping, especially for black pearls, should make sure to get their purchases made before they head to the Marquesas, unless they’ll have some time back in Tahiti after their Marquesas travel.

5. Not a lot of ships go there
As mentioned above, the Marquesas are remote, and not only because they’re physically distant. Not a lot of cruise ships go there. On any regular basis, only three cruise lines visit the region: Aranui Cruises, Paul Gauguin Cruises, and Windstar Cruises, and none visit very often.

In 2025, Arunui will visit the most with 19 sailings that touch multiple islands in the Marquesas. Paul Gauguin has six sailings scheduled in 2025 visiting the Marquesas, and Windstar has four. That’s fewer regular cruise ship visits than go to Antarctica.

In addition to those three cruise lines, clients can consider one-off sailings that stop at one or more of the Marquesas Islands with lines like Silversea Cruises, Lindblad Expeditions, Viking, Oceania, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and even Holland America.