New Caledonia Wilderness Walks

New Caledonia Wilderness Bounties

By Richard & Frederique Chesher, producers of the Rocket Cruising and Travel Guides to New Caledonia.

When you sail to New Caledonia, you are, of course, looking forward to cruising around the magnificent lagoon, tucking into choice anchorages, going for a snorkel or dive and maybe shopping and sampling restaurants in Noumea. But there is another super special bonus of cruising in New Caledonia you will absolutely adore; wilderness walks.

The main island of Grande Terre is, except for Noumea and the coastal villages, an uninhabited mountainous wilderness. Fortunately, the French love sports, including marathons, mountain biking, and treks. This means the government and local clubs created and maintain very lovely trails through the most scenic parts of the country. The trails are well marked, easy to follow and even have campsites and places to stay on the longer walks.

Zen out with Mother Nature, smell the wildflowers, photograph gorgeous orchids, fill your lungs with clean, fresh air, and swim in crystal clear streams under lovely waterfalls with absolutely nobody around except whoever you are natureing with.

There are walks suitable for everyone, from gung-ho supercharged cross country marathon runners to elderly strollers. We’ve made the various trails even more accessible by including the treks you can access from the various anchorages on the Rocket Cruising Guide to New Caledonia. And if you want to enjoy even more treks, you’ll find how to rent a car and where the trails are on the Rocket Travel Guide to New Caledonia.

In the MAY 2022 Issue of AHOY Sailing I some of my favourite treks so you get an idea of why you’ll love these adventures...