Introduction
The tiny archipelago of the Marquesas, known as Henua Enata - ‘Land of Men' - is some 1,400 kilometres north-east of Tahiti.
Yet despite being the most remote part of French Polynesia, it has attracted many artists, explorers and writers over the years, including Herman Melville, Thor Heyerdahl, Jack London, Robert Louis Stephenson and Paul Gaugin. The latter spent his final years on the island of Hiva Oa, where he is buried in the local cemetery. It's an inspirational setting, wild and isolated, and the untamed interior of the main island of Nuku Hiva has some excellent walking routes, through lush valleys, past cascading waterfalls and to the tops of high volcanic peaks.
The Marquesas also have a rich cultural heritage, stronger here than in most other islands, thanks perhaps to the fact that far fewer people visit.
