Fodor's Expert Review Taiohae

In the shadow of towering, 2,834-foot (864 meters) Mt. Muake, this is the island's main town. Located in the center of the southern coast at the foot of deep Taiohae Bay, the town is in the center of an ancient volcanic crater, half of which has collapsed into the ocean, creating a bay. A modern administrative center complete with gendarmerie (police), it has a particularly French feel to it. Taiohae sculptors work in shops behind the village. Most of the island's banks, schools, stores, and shops are in Taiohae. The Cathedral of Notre-Dame of Marquesas is built with various rock from the six islands of the Marquesas. The wood carvings inside combine Marquesan art with religion, including a dramatic wooden pulpit.