Pitcairn Islands

What makes Pitcairn Island unique is not its location, geography or amenities. It has no tourist facilities, and not even an accessible beach. It is very difficult for boats to land there due to the pounding surf. Travel to Pitcairn is difficult at best, and communication options are limited. The fascination with Pitcairn lies in its unique "Mutiny on the Bounty" heritage. Pitcairn island is home to approximately 50 people who are descended from six 18th century English seamen and their Tahitian wives or consorts. As a result, the culture, customs and language of Pitcairn Island are a unique blend of Europe and Polynesia. The early settlement of Pitcairn Island is one of the most interesting stories in the history of the South Pacific.

Understanding The Geography

The Pitcairn Islands, officially named the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands, are a group of four islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. The islands are a British overseas territory (formerly British colony).

The only permanently inhabited island, Pitcairn, is accessible only by boat through Bounty Bay.

Henderson Island, covering about 67% of the territory's total land area, and supporting a rich variety of animals in its nearly inaccessible interior, is also capable of supporting a small human population, but it is hard to get there and back, its outer shores being comprised of uniformly steep limestone cliffs of sharp coral.

The other islands are at a distance of more than 100 km and are not habitable.

Climate Conditions

The South Pacific Islands is tropical year-round. There’s a hotter, more humid period from November to April, and cooler, drier time from May to October.

The official rainy season is from November to April, but you will more likely experience long sunny spells, and the dry season is no longer guaranteed to be dry.

November to April is the official hurricane season.

Understand the Culture

The islands are best known for being the home of the descendants of the Bounty mutineers and the Tahitians who accompanied them, an event retold in numerous books and films. This story is still apparent in the surnames of many of the islanders. With only about fifty inhabitants (from nine families), Pitcairn is also notable for being the least populated jurisdiction in the world (although it is not a sovereign nation). The United Nations Committee on Decolonisation includes the Pitcairn Islands on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.