Poum
The town of Poum is located right at the tip of the main island and has 1973 inhabitants. Poum has recently increased its tourism facilities with an increased number of ‘gites’ (local homestay accommodation) and more leisure activities for visitors (hiking trails and water sports). In May the locals celebrate the festival of the sea – it is the moment to discover their local customs and activities.
Must do:
Arama Village
446 people live in the district of Arama, divided between three tribes: Bouarou, Pengaï and Naraï.
Hiking Trail
Botanical walk develped by Relais de Poingam..
Nenon Beach
This is ranked as one of the most beautiful beaches of the main island and has a picnic area. A small sign shows the path to follow (about 12km south of the Poum crossroads).
Pilou Mine
This mine where ore deposits were discovered in 1884 was exploited by a businessman, Mr Higginson, who used slave labour until 1891 to extract the ore and to work the copper. He then sold out to the English who worked the mine until 1902 when the company again became bankrupt and was shut down. Two more attempts were made to relaunch the Pilou mine but each time with the same result – the production costs were higher than the profits. Other mines in the world are obviously more profitable…
Boat-pass
This is the northern most tip of the main island. You need to take a 4 wheel drive vehicle to get there especially if it is raining. When you get there admire the view!