BALADES

Hiva Oa can't take you for a minute. The multitude of sites to visit or simply look at is impossible to gather in this modest guide that will only mention you the main ones.

First, the village of Atuona has a museum dedicated to two world renowned characters that Hiva Oa has been able to retain: the Gauguin Cultural Center, which also evokes Brel. «Jojo», his personal airplane, has his own refuge, a kind of minima devoted to the great Belgian singer.

Atuona also boasts several beautiful churches as well as one of the largest boarding schools in Polynesia, the college of the sisters of Saint-Joseph de Cluny, founded in 1843.

Close to the center, Tahauku Bay is the place to gather sailboats around the world, as well as the landing of schooner and Aranui. The black sand beach a little lower, treated against the «nonos», is also an excellent surf spot, facing a little motu: the Anakee Island, which is a vigie at the entrance to Atuona.

To have a good view of the bay and the village, you have to climb to the Calvaire cemetery, at a quarter hour of the center. The graveyard, maintained and flowered, keeps the last houses of Paul Gauguin and Jacques Brel, in the utmost simplicity. In the shadow of a frangiac, Gauguin's tomb consists of red tuf blocks where one can read, engraved, on a round gallet «Paul Gauguin 1903». The «cursed painter» wanted the statue of Oviri to overcome his grave. She represents a mystical woman with a worrying eye and a hand wash, but only the replica. A few meters away, Jacques Brel's more discreet tomb is almost hidden by vegetation. The Belgian singer lived on the road of the cemetery (his house still exists) and began to build a new dwelling on the road that leaves east, about 2 km from the village. The tourism committee has installed a stack honoring the work of the artist (a simple plaque with his face), with the phrase "Do you want me to tell you, geir is no place… to the Marquises." For the twenty years of his death, an Auditorium was also built in the mountains in 1998.

Let us now leave the village to discover the greener sites of Hiva Oa: its villages lost at the ends of the island, its waterfalls so expensive in Gauguin, its breathtaking views, and the millennia of the ancient civilization of Marquisian civilization. The archeological sites close to Atuona are easily accessible.

The Tehueto site is located about 2 km towards the airport, and it is not so difficult to go there (roughly right at the intersection, then follow the sign for the site on the left, then right on a 4 x 4 track, then left towards water capture; there, cross the river, and take the small trail on the left). It contains many petroglyphs inscribed in basalt, representing human and animal geometric forms, buried in nature, but not tikis. Take a 40-minute walk and a walk. The best, however, is to go there with a guide (ask your pension), so that you can get informed explanations.

In the south of the village, the Taaoa site is more grandiose and partially restored. On the way, you can take a detour to the Victoriako cascades, for a fresh swim. Called "Tohua Upeke", the place is 25 minutes from Taaoa, and counts more than a thousand pae pae. It is invaded by coconut trees, pubs and purao.

The last archeological site to visit is that of Iipona in Puamau, on the other end of the island. From Puamau, the journey is indicated and offers a beautiful panorama on the bay. The island undoubtedly contains other graveled or tikis stones buried under a thick vegetation cover, but it is up to you to discover them, or to ask children to guide you. In the mountains, Hiva Oa always reserves surprises on the detour of the winding trails. It can be a herd of goats that seem scarcely disturbed by your presence, on the Panutai or Kotae plateaux, overlooking the ocean or huge cliffs falling into the water and leaving just a place to a strip of sand sheltered from the sun…

By crossing a collar, you can discover a stunning panorama on a deep valley filled with mango, pistachios, gowaviers, lemons… When this valley flows into the sea, you can distinguish colorful roofs from a handful of homes lost in the greenery. Hanamenu, Hekeani, Hanaupe and many others are peaceful places completely away from the beaten paths, and even short trails. Thanks to the trail, you can easily access villages like Hanapaaoa, Hanaiapa or Motuua. Count, for example, two hours in 4 x 4 from Atuona to win Hanapaaoa (40 inhabitants), true shrine of traditional Marquisian life. People live daily from the lobster fishery and the coprah harvest in a world of captivating beauty. Hanaiapa, already larger, has a street, several pae pae, lovely crotons entering the village and a beautiful rock that looks like a head. Hanaiapa also enjoys a good surfing spot and serves as a base to visit Hanatekuua, the white sand beach of Hiva Oa (count 1 hour 30 for a normal walker).

Puamau, at the end of the track, is almost the metropolis of the corner since it occupies a lot of the bay, and is on the seafront. After this last village, Hiva Oa rises at Mont Vaipoo (641 m), deploys a last peninsula, finally to die at Cape Matafenua.