Kanton Island

Remote Phoenix Islands atoll with aviation history and a place inside Kiribati's vast marine reserve.

Kanton Island (also spelled Canton) is a remote coral atoll in the Phoenix Islands group of Kiribati, roughly halfway between Hawaii and Fiji. The atoll is part of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, one of the largest marine protected areas on earth and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Only a handful of people live here — government caretakers and the occasional visiting scientist — and there is no tourism infrastructure to speak of.

The island had a remarkable moment in aviation history as a refueling stop for Pan American flying boats in the late 1930s and 1940s, and both the US and Britain once claimed it in a brief sovereignty dispute. Today the lagoon and surrounding reefs are left almost entirely to the seabirds, reef sharks, and sea turtles. Getting here requires chartering a boat from Tarawa, a journey of several days, and there is no scheduled transport. Kanton is one of the most isolated inhabited places in the Pacific, and visiting it is an expedition rather than a trip.

Guide

Getting There

Getting to Kanton Island is a genuine logistical challenge and not something to be done casually. There is no scheduled commercial transport of any kind. The only practical ways to reach the island are by private or chartered yacht, on a research or expedition vessel, or occasionally on Kiribati government supply runs from Tarawa.

By yacht, the crossing from Tarawa takes several days; from Hawaii or Samoa somewhat longer. The passage should be treated as open-ocean sailing rather than island-hopping. You will need to clear Kiribati customs in Tarawa (or possibly South Tarawa) before heading to the Phoenix Islands. The Phoenix Islands Protected Area has restrictions on anchoring and fishing; check current regulations with Kiribati authorities before departure. There is no tourism infrastructure on the island — bring everything you need.

Guide

Things to Do on Kanton Island

Kanton is not a place with things to do in any conventional tourist sense — it is an expedition destination. The reasons to come are the marine protected area, one of the most pristine in the Pacific; the island's extraordinary history; and the appeal of a place almost entirely removed from the modern world.

The lagoon holds over 150 species of fish, healthy shark populations, and sea turtle nesting beaches. Anyone who reaches Kanton on a yacht or charter vessel will find snorkelling and diving of exceptional quality. The old Pan American base structures remain in various states of decay, offering something for those interested in mid-twentieth-century aviation and Pacific history.