The attractive 19th-century Catholic church dominates Vao. It was established by the Marist priest Father Goujon, who managed to convert most of the island’s population in just over 30 years following his arrival in 1848.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.54 MILES
At Baie de St Maurice, this statue commemorates the arrival of the first missionaries on the island and is also a war memorial. There's a solemn line of…
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5.7 MILES
This impressive cave tunnels into a limestone cliff at the end of a path through wild tropical gardens. Queen Hortense, wife of a local chief, is believed…
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3.73 MILES
Just north of Baie de Kuto, beside the main road, are the crumbling, overgrown ruins of an old convict prison built in the late 19th century. Île des Pins…
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0.77 MILES
Two kilometres east of Vao and also referred to as Baie des Pirogues, this is where the Pirogue Excursion leaves from daily. Locals build their…
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5.02 MILES
About 8km north of Kuto, a signposted turn-off leads down a dirt road to the sunken Grotte de la Troisième. The cave is 100m down a path from the end of…
Nearby Île des Pins attractions
0.54 MILES
At Baie de St Maurice, this statue commemorates the arrival of the first missionaries on the island and is also a war memorial. There's a solemn line of…
0.77 MILES
Two kilometres east of Vao and also referred to as Baie des Pirogues, this is where the Pirogue Excursion leaves from daily. Locals build their…
3.73 MILES
Just north of Baie de Kuto, beside the main road, are the crumbling, overgrown ruins of an old convict prison built in the late 19th century. Île des Pins…
5.02 MILES
About 8km north of Kuto, a signposted turn-off leads down a dirt road to the sunken Grotte de la Troisième. The cave is 100m down a path from the end of…
5. Grotte de la Reine Hortense
5.7 MILES
This impressive cave tunnels into a limestone cliff at the end of a path through wild tropical gardens. Queen Hortense, wife of a local chief, is believed…