Fatu Hiva

Fatu Hiva is an island in the Marquesas group of French Polynesia that rises 1,125 m above sea level and is surrounded by steep cliffs. Narrow valleys cut through the mountainous landscape and provide the setting for scattered villages.

Spanish navigator Álvaro de Mendaña reached the island in 1595 and initially named it Isla Magdalena while searching for the Solomon Islands. The name Fatu Hiva became established later and derives from the local Polynesian language.

Residents here practice traditional tapa cloth making and woodcarving as everyday crafts visible in village life. These skills connect the islanders to their heritage through daily activities rather than ceremonies alone.

Visitors reach this island only by boat, as there is no airport and only unpaved roads connect the villages. Travel here requires time and willingness to walk between settlements.

An endemic bird species, the Fatu Hiva monarch, lives only on this southernmost island of the Marquesas group. This bird species is often overlooked but forms an important part of the local ecosystem.