Île des Pins (Isle of Pines) sits at the southern tip of New Caledonia, about 90 km from Nouméa. The island has been called "the closest island to paradise," and it earns the cliché: the beaches are genuinely extraordinary — powdery white sand, turquoise water so clear you can see the bottom from 10 metres up, and the distinctive tall araucaria pines that give the island its name standing over everything like sentinels.
The island is small — about 20 km across — and the pace is slow. Most visitors come for two or three days. There's no real town, just a scatter of gîtes, a handful of restaurants, and a small airport. The Kanak community is present and visible; this is their island as much as a tourist destination, and it's worth keeping that in mind.
The main draws are the beach at Kuto Bay, the natural pool at Oro Bay, and the pirogue trip across Upi Bay. If you manage all three, you've seen the island's best. The snorkelling is excellent throughout.