Making the most of Mangareva Gambier Islands
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Ships moor or anchor here, and passengers are tendered ashore.
This is about as close to the ends of the earth as it gets.
More than 1,600 kilometers south-east of Tahiti, the Gambier group comprises 14 small mountainous islands, of which Mangareva is the largest and most populated.
As the nineteenth-century cradle of Polynesian Catholicism, the islands retain more than one hundred stone buildings from that era: churches, presbyteries, convents, schools, weaving workshops, bakers' ovens and watch towers.
Rikitea, the principal village, has imposing St Michael's cathedral, dating from 1848. Its richly pearl- and mother-of-pearl-decorated altar is the masterpiece.
Mangareva's lagoons once supported pearl-oyster work and still do. The largest and most famous pearl farms are here, the islands' main resource, and the lagoons are reputed to yield the finest-quality pearls.
Getting around
If you plan to cycle around the island, note that some tracks are quite steep.
Food and shopping
There are only a small number of shops.
Haggling or bargaining over prices is not customary in markets or shops.
Money
1000 CFP francs equals 8.38 euros. Credit cards are not accepted.
Staying connected
French and Tahitian are the official languages.