Gambier Islands French Polynesia, Rikitea-Mangareva
French Polynesia
19
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
Ponant (7 Cruises)
Frequently Asked Questions
More than sixteen hundred kilometres southeast of Tahiti, at the far southeastern edge of French Polynesia. The archipelago is a rare geographic case: four high islands and a handful of islets gathered inside a single reef ring, like a miniature archipelago in its own aquarium.
Ships anchor inside the lagoon and land passengers by tender at the quay of Rikitea, the main village, set at the foot of Mount Duff on Mangareva island. Once through the pass, the water calms all at once.
Because 19th-century fathers of the Picpus congregation made these islands the laboratory of Polynesian Catholicism. Saint-Michel de Rikitea, built of coral stone from 1839 and finished in 1848, raises its white towers above the mango trees. Inside, the altar is inlaid with mother-of-pearl and lagoon pearls.
About a hundred 19th-century structures: convents, watchtowers, bread ovens, weaving workshops and chapels scattered as far as the outer islets. You walk among these bleached coral remains between the palms. It is a history both grand and heavy, one that upended Mangarevan society: local guides speak of it frankly, and they are worth listening to.
Connoisseurs consider the archipelago the cradle of the finest pearls in French Polynesia, with tones tending toward green, aubergine or deep blue. Pearl farms dot the inner waters on their wooden pontoons, and some open to visitors, oyster grafting included.
The cathedral and missionary remains at Rikitea, a pearl farm, and depending on time either the climb up the slopes of Mount Duff or snorkelling over the coral gardens of the islets. All three will not fit into a short call.
It rewards early walkers with a full circle view over the lagoon and its gradations of turquoise. Set off early: the sun bites quickly and there is no continuous shade on the slopes. This is not a gentle stroll.
Weaving. Finely worked pandanus-fibre hats are a source of pride for village families. The church singing, renowned throughout Polynesia, can be heard on Sundays: it costs nothing and is often what stays with you longest.
About fifteen hundred, living to the rhythm of supply schooners and flights to the airstrip laid on the Totegegie reef, from which a boat shuttle reaches the village. Electricity is sparing after dark and days begin with the sun.
The CFP franc. Bring cash, including for a pearl purchase: payment options are limited and banking services all but nonexistent. There is no tourist infrastructure, and your passenger schedule is only one convention among several here.
