☰Saint-Michel Cathedral

Built between 1839 and 1848 under the direction of Father Honoré Laval, this is the largest cathedral in the South Pacific — a remarkable feat for an island of just over a thousand people. Laval used local labour and coral stone to construct a structure that feels entirely incongruous with its surroundings, and all the more arresting for it. The interior contains statues, mother-of-pearl altar decorations, and a carved wooden ceiling. The story behind its construction — involving near-total conversion of the population, mass construction projects, and the eventual expulsion of Laval from the island — is as dramatic as the building itself.