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The island of Eiao (43.8 sq km) is an uninhabited island, which, together with the small island of Hatutu (6.5 sq km, uninhabited) and the sandy island of Motu One, is part of the northernmost section of the Marquesas islands. Eiao is a very isolated island which is located 100 km north-west of Nuku Hiva.
Eiao is separated by a 3 km wide canal from the nearby smaller island of Hatutu. The latter is also of volcanic nature and is a nesting place for numerous species of seabirds. 19 km east of Hatutu are the two sandy islets of Motu One, now a protected nature reserve.
Eiao is a remote island, difficult to visit, with steep and wild coasts, which reaches a height of 576 meters. The island is an ancient volcano, now extinct, the ground is essentially formed by basaltic rocks. The soil – due to weathering and the proliferation of goats introduced on the island in the 19th century – looks similar to that of the planet Mars.
In the past Eiao was inhabited by Marquesan populations. The island was discovered by westerners in 1791 thanks to the American explorer Joseph Ingraham. At the end of the 19th century, for a short period, the French used the island as a place of captivity.
HOW TO GET TO EIAO
The island of Eiao is uninhabited so there are no connections that allow you to easily reach it unless you participate in a scientific expedition or to reach it with your own sailing boat during the crossing of the Pacific Ocean. So visiting this island is really difficult.
