Why go
- Capital and largest city of New Caledonia.
- Served by La Tontouta International Airport (NOU).
History
Nouméa is the capital and largest city of the French special collectivity of New Caledonia and is also the largest Francophone city in Oceania. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian, Indonesian, and Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians, Ni-Vanuatu and indigenous Kanaks who work in one of the South Pacific's most industrialised cities. The city lies on a protected deepwater harbour that serves as the chief port for New Caledonia.
Airports
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 4 airlines, 9 direct destinations
- Air Caledonie International SB (A320, A330-200) · 9 routes: Auckland, Brisbane, Nandi, Osaka, Papeete, Port-vila, Sydney, Tokyo, Wallis
- Qantas QF (737-800, 767-300) · 2 routes: Brisbane, Sydney
- Air New Zealand NZ (A320) · 1 route: Auckland
- Air Vanuatu NF (ATR) · 1 route: Port-vila
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 1 airline, 8 direct destinations
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Getting there by ferry
Where things are
Photographs
credit: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons · See source page
When to go
The warmer, longer-day half of the southern-hemisphere year.
Milder and quieter, with better value.
The southern winter — check local conditions before travelling.
Getting there & around
Getting there. The nearest airport on record is La Tontouta International Airport (NOU); 6 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: NOU has direct flights to 9 destinations on 4 airlines (incl. Auckland, Brisbane, Port-vila, Sydney, Nandi…). By water: 6 ferry terminals within 20 km (nearest: Nautica Taxi-Boat, 0.3 km); routes include Taxi Boat, Taxi-boat Nouméa / Îlot Signal.
Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Noumea, New Caledonia. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.
Private aviation
On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.