In South Province, a canoe trip in Parc Provincial de la Rivière Bleue takes you along the river to the Forêt Noyée; Fort Teremba tells another side of the area’s history. Protected natural areas, historic sites and cultural institutions in Nouméa offer different ways to explore the region.

Protected Nature and Ways to Explore

Parc Provincial de la Rivière Bleue is a protected area in Province Sud. It also includes the two nature reserves of Haute Pourina and Haute Yaté. In the park, you can canoe down the river to the famous Forêt Noyée. Before setting out, check water conditions and access rules. This connects the choice of a nature experience with a practical question to consider when preparing.

Parc Provincial Zoologique et Forestier presents a different practical consideration: it is accessible only by car or active modes of transport; there is no public transport. As transport arrangements may change, check the latest official access information before your visit.

Fort Teremba and Historic Sites in Nouméa

Fort Teremba was established in 1871 as the area’s penal and administrative center. Uaraï comprised La Foa, Farino and Moindou. Its founding combined a penal function with a regional administrative role. In the wider destination of New Caledonia, Fort Teremba is also a historic monument and an open-air museum devoted to the history of the penal colony and the Kanak uprisings. The permanent exhibition at the Fort Teremba Museum covers New Caledonia’s penal colony and the history of the fort; its displays include interactive terminals, audiovisual presentations, models and figures.

In Nouméa, the Musée Maritime de Nouvelle-Calédonie traces the area’s maritime history. The historic site Île Nou – Bagne de Nouville was a prison from 1864 to 1927, housing more than 22,000 convicts. Together, these sites cover a range of historical themes, from maritime heritage to the history of incarceration.

More Aspects of the New Caledonia Destination

In the destination of New Caledonia, the lagoons are home to an exceptional diversity of coral and fish species. They also form a continuous sequence of habitats, from mangroves to seagrass meadows. The Centre culturel Tjibaou in Nouméa offers a cultural perspective: it combines an art center focused on Kanak culture with a museum, performance venue, library and boutique. Its collection comprises more than 600 works of contemporary Kanak and Oceanian art, some of which are on permanent display.

Domaine de Deva in Bourail is another nature experience in the wider destination of New Caledonia. There, 158 kilometers of marked hiking, horse-riding and mountain-biking trails pass through 1,700 hectares of dry forest that is home to numerous protected endemic species. The three named types of trail offer a clear contrast with canoeing on the Rivière Bleue: marked routes through dry forest rather than a river trip to the Forêt Noyée.

Bougna is part of New Caledonia’s culinary heritage. It is typically made with fish or meat, tubers, Poingo bananas and coconut milk, and cooked in banana leaves surrounded by hot stones. At tribal accommodations in La Foa, Bourail, Yaté, Hienghène and on the islands, visitors can take part in preparing bougna in a traditional Kanak earth oven.

Discover more destinations: Nouméa, L'île-Des-Pins, Le Mont-Dore, Paita, Vao, Yate, Dumbéa, Bourail, Plum, Bouloupari, La Tontouta, Sarraméa.

To the overview of the wider destination: New Caledonia.