Nouméa, the capital of New Caledonia, is an unlikely Pacific capital — a surprisingly European town of around 100,000 people wrapped around a string of bays on the southwestern tip of the main island of Grande Terre. French bakeries, yachts in every harbour, and Kanak traditional art sitting next to colonial architecture give it a feel unlike anywhere else in the Pacific.
The Baie des Citrons and Anse Vata beaches, along the southern peninsula, are the tourist hub — white sand, clear water, and a string of hotels, cafes, and restaurants. The central city around Place des Cocotiers is a little more ordinary-French and worth a morning's walk, especially the covered Marché Municipal on the waterfront where the day's catch is sold alongside fruit and vegetables from across the island.
The Tjibaou Cultural Centre, on a peninsula five kilometres north of the centre, is the reason to go beyond the beaches. Designed by Renzo Piano in 1998 as a monument to Kanak culture — ten tall wooden "huts" inspired by traditional chiefs' dwellings — it is one of the most striking pieces of contemporary architecture in the Pacific, set in gardens of native plants, with a first-rate collection of Kanak art and regular cultural events.
The real draw of New Caledonia, though, is the world's second-largest coral reef system that surrounds the island — a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2008. Day trips to the Île aux Canards and further-out islands offer some of the finest snorkelling and diving in the South Pacific. The Aquarium des Lagons on the Anse Vata waterfront is the best introduction to what lives in those waters before you get in.