District · Nouméa
Port Moselle and the marina
The Moselle market, the marina restaurants and the boat quay; the harbour for the islets.
Key facts
- Suits
- The market and boat trips
- Sights here
- 1
- Eats here
- 2
What it's like
- Feels:
- Yachts, market stalls and marina cafés
- Suits:
- The market and boat trips
- Best time:
- 07:00–13:007:00 AM–1:00 PM
- Watch out for:
- Arriving after the market has thinned.
- In short:
- The Moselle market, the marina restaurants and the boat quay; the harbour for the islets.
About these names
Nouméa is a peninsula city. The centre-ville and Place des Cocotiers are in the middle, Port Moselle and the market on the eastern bay, and the Baie des Citrons and Anse Vata beaches on the southern shore, a 10–20 minute taxi away. The airport at La Tontouta is about 50 km north; Magenta, the domestic airport, is on the inner side of the peninsula.
Where exactly
This district is highlighted. Shapes follow this guide's walking areas and places, not official boundaries.
Port Moselle and the marina
seeeat
The Moselle market, the marina restaurants and the boat quay; the harbour for the islets.
Suits: The market and boat trips
On the map: Moselle Market
District guideWalk: Port Moselle marina and marketIn the districts table
Off the map: La Tontouta International Airport (NOU) (55–80 min by the usual route).
Not drawn yet (no coordinates in this guide): Ouen Toro and Val Plaisance, Tina and Magenta, Northern suburbs (Dumbéa, Païta). See the table above.
Where’s what, as a list:
- Centre-ville: Place des Cocotiers, the cathedral hill and the shops; flat and walkable before 10:30 and after 16:30.Place des Cocotiers, the cathedral hill and the shops; flat and walkable before 10:30 AM and after 4:30 PM. Suits: A first stay: cathedral, museum and squares on foot. Price band $$.
- Port Moselle and the marina: The Moselle market, the marina restaurants and the boat quay; the harbour for the islets. Suits: The market and boat trips.
- Baie des Citrons: A small bay with a promenade, bars and restaurants; best from late afternoon. Suits: Evening dining and a promenade.
- Anse Vata: The resort strip: hotels, a long beach and promenade, and boats to the islets. Suits: Beach stays, water sports, the aquarium. Price band $$$.
- Ouen Toro and Val Plaisance: A hill with a lookout over the bays and the reef; go early or late. Suits: A hill lookout over the lagoon.
- Tina and Magenta: Quieter districts to the north-east and the inner side; the cultural centre is a taxi ride away. Suits: The Tjibaou Cultural Centre and domestic flights.
- Northern suburbs (Dumbéa, Païta): Growing suburbs on the road to La Tontouta; not set up for sightseeing. Suits: Residents, not visitors.
- Sleep area Anse Vata (beach strip): suits Beach stays, water sports, the aquarium, price band $$$.
- Sleep area Centre-ville (near Place des Cocotiers): suits A first stay: cathedral, museum and squares on foot, price band $$.
- La Tontouta International Airport (NOU), 55–80 min by the usual route.
Stay here?
Not a base in this guide
See
Opening hours and prices from each place page; (check) means typical hours, not yet verified.
- Moselle MarketBook a time
The city's main food market, beside the marina: go early (before 09:00) for fruit, fish and breakfast, and expect it to thin out by late morning.
- Hours:
- Desk estimate: early morning to late morning; confirm days.(check)
- Entry:
- Free
Eat
What to order and what locals pay, from each eat page. Prices are estimates; check the menu.
- Bougna: Kanak earth-oven lunch
The Kanak dish of yam, taro and sweet potato with chicken, fish or lobster in coconut milk, steamed in banana leaves; buy a portion at the market or at a stall on the days it is served, and check the day first. No single venue is named until verified.
Order: Bougna: Ask for chicken, fish or vegetables.
Price: XPF 1,200–2,000 for a portion.
- Port Moselle marina restaurants
Lunch at a marina-side table: book on the day, eat at 12:00–13:00 before the room fills, and ask for the day's fish.
Order: Plat du jour: Ask what it is today.
Price: XPF 1,800–2,800 for a plat du jour.
Drink and nightlife
Lines from the Nouméa drinking guide that name this district.
- Port Moselle marina bars · Yacht-club-style bars and cafés · until about 23:00Sunset drinks by the boats.
Getting there and around
Where to get off
- Taxi or bus to the marina side; the market is beside the boat harbour · for Moselle Market
- Moselle market and stalls on the marina side · 2 min walk to Bougna: Kanak earth-oven lunch
- Marina Port Moselle, waterfront road · 3 min walk to Port Moselle marina restaurants
Walks inside the district
- Moselle Market → Port Moselle marina restaurants: 5–9 min on foot (Walk along the quay)
- Moselle Market → Bougna: Kanak earth-oven lunch: 2–4 min on foot (Walk to the stall)
On to the next area
- Walk or car south-east: about 15 min to Centre-ville and Place des Cocotiers
- Car south-west: about 12 min to Baie des Citrons
From other sleep areas
- From Centre-ville (near Place des Cocotiers): 15–22 min walk to Port Moselle marina and market
Minutes are this guide’s typical walking and ride times (p50–p90); traffic and heat stretch them.
Walking loop
A loop that starts and ends at the same place, through this district's sights and eats. Pick a length; download it for Organic Maps, OsmAnd or Google Earth.
About 63 min in all: 8 min on foot, the rest at the stops. 3 stops, back to where you started.
- Moselle MarketStart here · stop about 25 min
- Bougna: Kanak earth-oven lunch2 min walk · stop about 15 min (snack, or note it for later)
- Port Moselle marina restaurants1 min walk (estimate) · stop about 15 min (snack, or note it for later)
- Back to Moselle Market: 5 min walk
Walking minutes come from this guide’s route graph where it has one; “estimate” means straight-line distance plus a quarter for street detours at an easy pace. Opening hours are not checked: look at “Open now” below before you set off.
Half-day walk
In the day plans: Day 2 — The Moselle market at opening, marina coffee and lunch (Nouméa in 3 days)
Photo and sunset spots
Light: Early morning
Ask before photographing vendors.
Safety at night and noise
Port Moselle and the marketday: oknight: caution
Quiet at night outside the marina restaurants.
Nearby districts
Built from this guide’s Nouméa districts table, place, eat and sleep pages, route graph and city notes. Hours, prices and rules change: anything marked (check) is typical, not verified. checked: 2026-09.