Every day from 5am to midday, Nouméa's municipal market offers an authentic opportunity to soak up the island's atmosphere. A journey through aromas, colours and flavours...
A Market of a Thousand Colors
Topped with blue tiles, five hexagonal pavilions, easily recognizable from afar, house dozens of stalls, each more colorful than the last. The fruits and vegetables are locally grown: pineapples, bananas, dragon fruits, and other liana apples (better known as passion fruits) coexist with yams, taro, sweet potatoes, and chayotes, depending on the season.
Bouquets of flowers display their flamboyant colours among the stalls, a real feast for the eyes. Don't miss the delicious specialities: honeys, jams, fruit or vegetable achards, spices, and treat yourself to pastries from the patisserie.
The market is also a meeting place for craftspeople selling a wide range of costume jewellery, decorative items and textiles. There are around thirty stalls, so you're sure to find what you're looking for!
The kings of the market
If you arrive early in the morning, you can watch the fishermen unloading fresh fish and shellfish while the women in ‘popinées’ do their shopping. The name refers to a species of sea cicada with a shimmering shell found only in New Caledonia, and also to the colourfully patterned dresses typical of the island. Fish and shellfish, from the open sea or the lagoon, are the undisputed kings of this market. Mangrove crabs, large blue prawns, octopus, lobsters, picots, dawas, mullets and mahi-mahi overflow from the fishmongers' impressive stalls.
A stop at the buvette is a must
No visit to the market is complete without a stop at the buvette, the market's must-see! In the centre of the pavilion, this place is always busy in the early hours of the morning. Delicious croque-madame has forged its reputation!
By The editor
The editorial staff of France.fr follows the trends and news of destinations to bring you stories from France that reveal its innovations and traditions that make you long to (re) discover its territories.
