Categories: Travel

French Polynesia’s 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites

A New UNESCO Bucket-list Destination: Marquesas

Marquesas Named French Polynesia’s 3rd UNESCO World Heritage Site

And Paul Gauguin Cruises Explores Them All

Renowned for their jungle-clad soaring peaks rising abruptly from the sea, the Marquesas have just been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, joining Fakarava in the Tuamotus and Raiatea in the Society Islands. Recognized as a “hotspot for diversity” with “exceptionally well conserved marine and terrestrial ecosystems,” the archaeologically rich Marquesas and its surrounding Pacific waters are cited as “among the world’s last marine wilderness areas.” Of the archipelago’s 12 volcanic islands, only six are inhabited and the m/s Paul Gauguin visits four of them—more than any other year-round luxury ship in the region.

Book all-inclusive voyages of 7 to 14 nights to explore French Polynesia’s UNESCO treasures.

Reserve your cruise now to take advantage of included Bonus Savings up to 30%.

UNESCO Sites in French Polynesia

Fakarava: A UNESCO Marine Biosphere Reserve
The second largest atoll in the Tuamotus, Fakarava’s extraordinary lagoon is a premier SCUBA diving and snorkeling paradise, home to many rare species of marine life; it’s also a place of cultural significance with charming villages, ancient temples, and spectacular coral churches.

Raiatea’s Marae Taputapuātea
As the starting point for the earliest Polynesian voyages, Raiatea sits at the heart of the Polynesian Triangle and is renowned as the spiritual center of the entire region, home to ancient marae (sacred temples). Taputapuātea is considered the religious center of Eastern Polynesia.

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The m/s Paul Gauguin

One of the highest-rated luxury cruise ships in the South Pacific is a small, intimate, and award-winning moveable feast for the senses, with a 1:1.5 crew-to-guest ratio and only 165 luxurious suites and spacious staterooms. As if drawn from the pages of an artist’s sketchbook, The Gauguin boasts a contemporary design showcasing French Polynesia’s tropical beauty. The ship offers three gourmet dining restaurants, 24-hour room service, two lounges, expansive deck space, a watersports marina, a pool, a theater featuring nightly entertainment, a boutique, a spa, and plenty of spaces for socializing.

Paul Gauguin Cruises offers luxurious, small ship voyages in Tahiti, French Polynesia, Fiji, and the South Pacific, on the award-winning, 330-guest m/s Paul Gauguin. The Gauguin boasts a relaxed, easy elegance with indulgent suites and spacious staterooms – many with a private balcony — exceptional cuisine, authentic explorations ashore, a commitment to sustainability, and genuinely hospitable service.

The Gauguin is one of the most highly awarded luxury cruise ships in the world. The line was voted as the “World’s Best Small-Ship Ocean Cruise Line” in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards 2022 and one of the “Top 2 Small Cruise Lines” in the Condé Nast Traveler 2023, 2022 and 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards.
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