Hapatoni, Tahuata, Marquesas, French Polynesia

Tahuata is a 19-square mile, leaf-shaped island in the Marquesas group, and your entry is the village of Hapatoni. Walk the 19th-century Royal Road, a raised, paved walkway ordained by the queen and lined with ancient tamanu trees and fragrant with the scents of tiare and frangipani blossoms.. The large Catholic church was built by order of the Vatican, and boasts stained glass windows and elaborate local carvings. The nearby village of Vaitahu has a small museum housed in its city hall. There are breathtaking views available from many of the island’s tall volcanic peaks. The island’s craftsmen are famous for their carvings in bone and on large helmet shells.