In short
Nouméa is the capital of New Caledonia, a French collectivity in the South Pacific. The city sits on a peninsula, facing one of the largest lagoons in the world, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Place des Cocotiers is the historic centre. Anse Vata and Baie des Citrons are the two city beaches, lined with restaurants. The Quartier Latin and Vallée des Colons are residential.
Arriving and getting around
La Tontouta international airport is about fifty kilometres from Nouméa: allow three quarters of an hour for the transfer. Magenta airfield, in the city, serves domestic flights to the Loyalty Islands and the Isle of Pines.
City buses cover the town. A car is necessary for the Grande Terre — the east coast, the central range and the north.
New Caledonia's political and social situation has seen tensions in recent years. Consult your own foreign ministry's travel advice before booking, and check it again before departure: this page establishes no state of the situation at any given date.
What it really costs
New Caledonia is expensive: French prices plus the cost of insularity. Imported food is the most visible item.
The currency is the Pacific franc, pegged to the euro.
When to come
September–November and March–May. The southern hemisphere reverses the seasons: the southern summer (December–March) is hot, humid and cyclonic; winter (June–August) is mild and dry.
What nobody tells you
The Tjibaou Cultural Centre, designed by Renzo Piano and opened in 1998, is devoted to Kanak culture. Its ten wooden "cases" evoke unfinished traditional structures, and its natural ventilation is modelled on Kanak architecture. It is the most important visit in Nouméa.
The lagoon is discovered from the islets: Îlot Maître and Îlot Canard are minutes away by shuttle from Anse Vata, with marked underwater trails. Amédée lighthouse, further out, is visited as a day trip.
The Isle of Pines and the Loyalty Islands require a domestic flight or a boat: they are destinations in their own right, not day trips.
Kanak custom governs access to certain lands and sites: ask locally before entering tribal ground.