Marquesas Islands, French Polynesian archipelago in South Pacific Ocean
The Marquesas form a chain of twelve steep volcanic islands rising from the southern Pacific, each one carved by deep valleys and tall ridges. The coastline shows narrow bays and rocky cliffs dropping straight into open water.
A Spanish expedition reached these islands in the late 16th century and gave them a European name. France took over administration in the first half of the 19th century and has kept them as part of French Polynesia ever since.
The name comes from the Marqués de Cañete, a 16th-century Spanish viceroy, while locals call their islands Henua Enana or Land of the People. Visitors today can observe the living carving traditions in the villages, where artisans continue to work traditional patterns into wood and stone.
Small airports on four of the islands connect the archipelago to Tahiti and between each other, though flights run only a few times per week. Ferry links between islands take several hours and operate irregularly, so plan enough time for each leg of the journey.
Some valleys in the interior of the islands remain uninhabited and hard to reach even today, preserving wild vegetation and rare bird species. These remote areas show how the archipelago might have looked before first contact with outsiders.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
