Isle of Pines, a Favourite Port of Call

Isle of Pines on a Pacific cruise ship itinerary

Flicking through travel brochures showing pictures of beautiful tropical islands certainly whets your appetite for cruising the Pacific.
   One of the most beautiful, and accessible, is the Isle of Pines, part of New Caledonia.
   Captain Cook sailed past here in 1774. In his no-nonsense, 'call a spade a spade' manner, he saw the pine trees and gave the island its name.
   Unimaginative, but apt.
   Today cruise ships anchor off the Baie de Kuto and tender passengers ashore. The beach of white sand curves in a great arc, shaded by pine and palm trees that provide welcome respite from the sun.
   Across a narrow isthmus, a more enclosed bay, the Baie de Kanumera, is the place for snorkelling.
   If you are feeling peckish while ashore, local people sell bougna near the beach. It's a New Caledonian speciality. Fish, meat and vegetables such as yams are wrapped in banana leaves and cooked over hot stones in an earth oven.
   Tomorrow I'll post a guest interview with my friend, Paula, who cruised to the Isle of Pines with her family. She'll tell what they did on their day ashore in this port of call.