Mont-Dore (Le Mont-Dore) is a town in the island of Grande Terre, New Caledonia with a population of 27,620. It's also the second largest city in New Caledonia, just after Nouméa.

Understand

History

Several sites in the town of Mont-Dore have been populated for a long time. The first settlement areas were located including Boulari and St. Louis from the time of the period Koné back to the beginning of the first millennium BC. Another site, that of Plum, gave his name to a style of pottery (including a full copy was discovered in this locality) developed between the second century BC and the beginning of the second millennium AD.

Population

The town has been continually growing since 1956 when it only had a population of about 1288 to 2019 where it has a population of 27,620.

Visitor information centre

• 1 Office De Tourisme Du Grand Sud, cnr Rte Express du Mont-Dore and Av. des Deux Baies, ☏ +687 46 06 25, pitgs@mls.nc. M-F 08:30-12:30, 13:30-17:00. Sa 09:00-16:00. Closed Sundays. (updated Aug 2021)

Get in

By car

From Nouméa, take Rte Express du Mont-Dore, and then continue onto RP1. You have now arrived at Mont-Dore, but to go to the southern bits of the city continue until La Coulee turn right onto RP2 until Mont-Dore.

Get around

While the town itself is quite small in population, still 60% of the town is still covered in the bush so taking your car is the best option. Especially going from Mont-Dore to Mont-Dore de Sud (South Mont-Dore).

See

• 1 Accès au cap N'Dua, Rte Du Col De Port Boisé. 07:00-16:00 (closed Monday). Observation deck looking south at the ocean. (updated Aug 2021)
• 2 Île Bailly. Island off the coast of the town with nice beaches. (updated Aug 2021)
• 3 Réserve naturelle du Cap N'Dua. Nature reserve. (updated Aug 2021)
  • 4 Observatoire des baleines. Observation point for wildlife (updated Aug 2021)
• 5 Centre Culturel de Boulari (Centre Culturel du Mont-Dore), 23 Rue Antoine Griscelli (Complexe de Boulari), ☏ +687 41 90 90. (updated Aug 2021)

Do

Hiking

• Mont Dore Corniche Sud Trailhead, Rue du Colibri. (updated Aug 2021)

Scuba diving

Scuba divers may want to go scuba diving in the lagon calédonien, rich in coral life and just after the Great Barrier Reef in size, it's no surprise why it's such a huge tourist spot.

Eat

• 1 La Table d'Hôtes du Grand Bleu, 302 Allée du Grand Bleu, ☏ +687 76 99 08. (updated Aug 2021)
• 2 L'Envergure, near Pt. Boulari, ☏ +687 26 27 17. Tu-Th 11:30-14:00, 18:30-21:30, F 11:00-22:00, Sa 07:30-21:30, Su 07:30-14:00. (updated Aug 2021)

Sleep

• 1 Hotel Restaurant le Vallon Dore, Prom. Du Vallon Dore, ☏ +687 44 97 64. (updated Aug 2021)

Go next

• Go to the capital of Nouméa