Fatu Hiva is the most remote of the inhabited Marquesas, the southernmost island of this far-flung French Polynesian group, and it feels it. Steep green mountains rise straight from the sea, and the two villages, Omoa in the south and Hanavave on the north-west coast, sit in valleys so tightly folded that you can look up from the beach and see rock walls running to the clouds. Hanavave's bay was originally called the Bay of Penises by French sailors for its rock spires, then prudishly changed to the Bay of Virgins.
For riders, this is a place for a very short and very serious road. A mountain route connects the two villages, climbing through the island's interior with sharp hairpins, steep grades and occasional damp, slippery patches, and the views, when the cloud lifts, show rainforest ridges tumbling into the Pacific. It is an adventure rather than a relaxed cruise, and in the wet season, which brings heavy downpours, it can be treacherous. There is no real touring network, and there are few vehicles on the island at all. Reaching Fatu Hiva usually requires the supply boat or a charter from Hiva Oa, and sea conditions affect schedules.
The island's culture is strongly alive. Fatu Hiva is known across the Pacific for its tapa, or bark cloth, beaten from the inner bark of the mulberry and breadfruit trees and decorated with traditional Marquesan designs, and for wood carving. The Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl lived here in 1937 and 1938 with his wife, and his experience later fed into his theories about Polynesian origins, a story that is told with some mixed feelings by locals. Food is simple and good: fresh fish, breadfruit, coconut, and pamplemousse, the sweet giant grapefruit of the Marquesas, which is gloriously juicy.
On practical matters, services are minimal. The villages are small, with a few shops, small guesthouses, and almost no formal fuel supply, so do not plan on petrol except what you bring or can arrange with the locals. Bring cash in Pacific francs, insect repellent, a rain jacket, and patience. Ask permission before photographing people or sacred sites, since many are on family land, and remember that the schedule here is set by the sea and the weather.