New Caledonia Sailing Itinerary
New Caledonia is a French overseas territory located in the Southwest Pacific, east of Australia. New Caledonia is made up of a small number of islands, which include the main island of Grande Terre, as well as some small islets. The islands are filled with beautiful natural scenery, UNESCO listed lagoons, amazing landscapes, great hospitality, and a wonderfully welcoming culture.
Our New Caledonia Sailing Itinerary
Our New Caledonia Sailing Itinerary discovers the wonders of the main island and the surrounding picturesque islands. It also explores world class diving locations, white sandy beaches, crystal clear waters and has superb sailing conditions.
Getting There
New Caledonia can be reached by flying into La Tontouta International Airport, which has flights to and from Auckland, Brisbane, Melbourne, Osaka, Sydney and Tokyo, with the possibility to connect to flights all around the world. The starting marina is located 45 minutes transfer from the airport.
Weather
New Caledonia has a tropical climate, with the months of November to March being hot and humid with an average temperature of between 27 - 30c. Between June and August is the cooler dry season with an average temperature of between 20 and 23c.
Mooring
New Caledonia has a variety of mooring locations, from marinas to beautiful anchorage spots located just off the shore lines.
Day 1 - Ile Oven (Baie de la Tortue)
Port du Sud - Ile Oven and Mato
Day 1
Ile Oven
Our New Caledonia Sailing Itinerary begins at the Port du Sud marina, where there is opportunity to visit stores and prepare for the upcoming trip. From Port du Sud our New Caledonia Sailing Itinerary heads towards Mato, which is a good place to stop and head ashore for a lunch time hike.
From there the itinerary heads to Ile Oven and Baie de la Tortue (Turtle Bay). Turtle Bay is a great place to snorkel with reefs, which you can see through the crystal clear water. If you are lucky you might be able to spot a loggerhead turtle.
Another great place to visit is the abandoned jade mine and the two small villages, which make for a great place to anchor overnight.
Day 2 - Kuto Bay
Ile Oven - Isle of Pines - Kuto Bay
Day 2
Kuto Bay
Day 2 takes our New Caledonia Sailing Itinerary from Ile Oven to first the Isle of Pines. The Isle of Pines is a set of deserted beaches, wild a wild coastline, tall pine trees, beautiful blue waters and paradise lagoons. From here we set sail to Kuto Bay, which is considered one of the most beautiful bays. 'Kou Bugny' is a must visit restaurant serving delicious seafood. Kuto Bay has great ancient ruins to explore, Queen Hortence grotto and the quaint village of Vao.
Day 3 - Nokanhui
Kuto Bay - Nokanhui
Day 3
Nokanhui
From Kuto Bay we head to the natural wonder of Nokanhui, which is a natural reserve which has spectacular white sandy beaches and bright blue water. A great place to visit and spend a little time is at Moro Islet. Moro Islet is a tranquil islet which is a great place to have a go at a variety of watersports, relax on the boat or head to the beach to enjoy the pure white sand.
Day 4 - Gadi Bay
Nokanhui - Upi Bay - St Joseph - Gadi Bay
Day 4
Gadi Bay
On Day 4 of our New Caledonia Sailing Itinerary we head from the natural wonders of Nokanhui to the underwater wonders of Upi Bay, St Joseph and Gadi Bay for an overnight anchorage.
A great place to stop along the journey is at Upi Bay or St Joseph which is a great location to kayak and witness turtles, reef sharks and stingrays in their natural habitats. La Piscine Naturelle is a turquoise beauty, with tropical forests, reefs which can all be seen through the turquoise waters.
A great place to discover and explore is the waterways which surround the area and leads to the open sea of Baie d'Oro.
Day 5 - Diving
Diving
Day 5
Day 5 is a great opportunity to spend the day diving on some of the most beautiful diving spots in the world. From Gadi Bay you can travel to a number of great diving spots. Experienced divers can visit 'Grotte de la Troisieme' a unique and wonderful set of underground caves which are accessible through a set of narrow corridors. Night dives can be taken for something unique, there are drop offs, passages, sea grottos, as well as Faille de Noupoa, the Garden of Eden, Passe de Die and Vanilla plantation. Beginners divers can take it easy are discover the animals which live a little closer to the surface, such as sea snakes or loggerhead turtles.
Day 6 - Baie de Prony
Diving - Baie de Prony
Day 6
Baie de Prony
Baie de Prony is on the south end of the mainland. Prony Bay is a nature reserve with sandy beaches, coral reefs and bright contrasting mineral red sand, surrounded by bright green forests. The area has a lighthouse called Cap N Dva which also offers a great hiking destination.
Recife de l'Aiguille or the Prony Needle, which extends out 35m, the area is great for walks, hikes and an overnight anchorage.
Day 7 - Phare Amedee
Baie de Prony - Phare Amedee
Day 7
Phare Amedee
The final day of our New Caledonia Sailing Itinerary brings us to Share Amedee and one of the world's tallest lighthouses sprawling 56m into the sky, the lighthouse was also the first metallic lighthouse in France.
Phare Amedee is located at the entrance to the passage of Boulari, which is a section of three natural passages made from reefs. These reefs are a great place for a final dive of the trip, exploring the Passe de Boulari, shipwrecks, Noumea along with a large variety of animals including manta rays, grey sharks and white tipped reef sharks.