Tag: ATUONA – HIVA OA

Where in the World Are We?

We are in Atonia – Hiva Oa, French Polynesia

ATUONA – HIVA OA, FRENCH POLYNESIA
The Hidden Jewel of the Marquesas Islands
The largest of the southern Marquesan islands, Hiva Oa holds a distinguished place in local tradition.

Known in ancestral mythology as the master pillar or final post of the “Great House” that symbolizes the entire Marquesan archipelago,

Hiva Oa has long stood in friendly rivalry with its northern counterpart, Nuku Hiva.

Seen from above, the island resembles a seahorse, its rugged spine formed by a dramatic mountain range stretching from the southwest to the northeast.

The principal summits—Mount Temetiu and Mount Feani—rise sharply to create a formidable natural rampart surrounding the settlement of Atuona.

Atuona, a quiet and welcoming port nestled at the far end of Taaoa Bay—historically referred to as Traitors Bay—was once a remote and little‑known village. Today, however, it is renowned worldwide as the final home of two iconic figures: the celebrated painter Paul Gauguin and the beloved Belgian singer Jacques Brel. Their graves rest on the hillside of the Calvary Cemetery, overlooking the vast sweep of the bay. These simple yet evocative burial sites have become places of pilgrimage, drawing visitors moved by the artists’ lives, legacies, and deep emotional connection to the island.

Atuona – Hiva Oa, Marquesas Island, French Polynesia.

In the village, the Gauguin Museum displays items related to the painter’s stay there at the beginning of the century and has copies of his works.

Mave Mai Traditional Welcome

Atuona, a peaceful little port at the head of Taaoa Bay, also known as Traitors Bay, has emerged from obscurity as the last resting place of Paul Gauguin and the singer Jacques Brel. The tombs of these famous personalities are on the side of the Calvary cemetery, overlooking the bay, and are places of great pilgrimage.  Points of interest seen on this excursion include: Traditional Welcome, Shuttle Transfer, Atuona Village, Paul Gaugin Museum, Centre Jacques Brel, Calvary Cemetery

Traditional Welcome

The Polynesian people will welcome you to their island with traditional Marquesian seashells, leis, and joy of living. You will be invited to taste local fruits, laughter, and good spirits. Marquesians are proud of their islands and are always happy to share their way of life with visitors. Their easygoing approach to life is expressed mostly through their passion for dancing and music, and they will greet you with the Mave Mai traditional welcome, which includes traditional dance, polyphonic group singing, and the percussive rhythms of the traditional pahu (drum). The artists or craftsmen (tuhuna) were said to possess an extremely high level of creative power because they brought life to inert materials. You will have the opportunity to see the local craftsmen at work while they demonstrate their skills right in front of your eyes.

Atuona Village, Paul Gauguin Museum, Centre Jacques Brel

Shuttles transferred us to the small village of Atuona, where we visited the Paul Gauguin Museum. This museum pays tribute to the famous painter by displaying mementos and items from his time on the island of Hiva Oa, along with copies of his works. Atuona was Paul Gauguin’s home for the last three years of his life. Outside the museum halls is the ‘House of Pleasure’ where Gauguin lived and which has been rebuilt with copies of the carved wood panels and the lintel bearing this inscription. Behind the museum, you will find a big aircraft hangar. In the centre is Jacques Brel’s plane, Jojo; faded posters tracing the musician’s life adorn the walls, and his music plays dreamily over the sound system.

Dinner was on the Pool Deck 11 with the theme of “American Diner”.