Phoenix Islands
Kiribati · 3 m
Description
The Phoenix Islands are eight atolls and low coral islands scattered across the middle of the Pacific, and the Phoenix Islands Protected Area that covers them is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest marine protected areas on earth. Only Kanton carries a handful of people. The rest are uninhabited, which is why the reefs are unfished and the seabird colonies undisturbed. Visits happen on expedition cruises and scientific diving trips, there is no airstrip in service and no quay, and the horizon here is as empty as any in the ocean.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 3 to 10 days (optimal 5 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: May – October
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Phoenix Islands Protected Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- One of the largest marine protected areas on earth
- Kanton, the only inhabited island of the group
- Unfished coral reefs and big fish
- Expedition cruise and scientific diving visits
- Seabird colonies on the uninhabited atolls
- Turtles and sharks in the lagoons
- Nikumaroro and the search for Amelia Earhart
- Orona and the empty lagoons of the group