The Tjibaou Cultural Centre on the Tina Peninsula is Nouméa's most compelling sight — half art museum, half architectural landmark, and worth a half-day visit. Closer to the centre, the Parc Forestier on Mont Coffyn combines a small zoo showcasing New Caledonia's extraordinary endemic wildlife with lookouts over the lagoon.
Most visitors come to Nouméa for what's offshore rather than on land. Day trips to Amédée Lighthouse island, Îlot Maître, and Îlot Canard give you access to some of the world's best snorkelling in the UNESCO-listed lagoon. For something more serious, dive operators around the Baie des Citrons arrange reef and wreck dives inside and outside the barrier. The Musée de Nouvelle-Calédonie in the city centre is a small but worthwhile introduction to Pacific and Kanak material culture.