Visit Pitcairn Island, Pitcairn Islands

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Pitcairn Island was settled by the infamous mutineers of HMSBountyand their Polynesian companions, and most of Pitcairn's mere four dozen current inhabitants are their descendants. They are one of the least-populated entities given an ISO country code (PN). Pitcairn and Henderson were inhabited by Polynesian peoples from current day French Polynesia in earlier centuries, and Pitcairn visited briefly by Portuguese and British explorers (one of whom gave it his name), but it was deserted when in 1790 the infamous mutineers of HMSBountyand their Tahitian companions settled there under the leadership of Fletcher Christian. They burned and sank the ship in what is now called Bounty Bay (there was nowhere else to hide it), and founded a village on Pitcairn. At first a rather lawless community of violent drunks, it was "tamed" when John Adams, the last mutineer to avoid accident or murder, converted the women and children to Christianity. They lived there for 24 years before being rediscovered by the British, who allowed the community to continue. Pitcairn was the first Pacific island to become a British colony, in 1838, and today remains the last vestige of that empire in the South Pacific. Emigration, first to Norfolk Island and mostly to New Zealand in the last century, and a nearly-prohibitive approach to immigration have thinned the population from a peak of 233 in 1937 to fewer than 50 today. The island was rocked in 2004 by accusations of chronic and ubiquitous sexual abuse of the community's young female members, including pre-adolescent girls. After an investigation of much of the adult male population, including several who were no longer living there, six men were sentenced to terms in prison. It's unclear whether the Pitcairn society, already hovering at the lower fringes of self-sufficiency, will survive. The remoteness and ruggedness of Pitcairn's geography, the insularity of its bureaucracy, and the scarcity of its resources conspire to make it a very difficult place to visit. But with enough time, money and flexibility, the Silver Supporter vessel (see below) makes it rather easy to visit Pitcairn. No visa is needed if you intend to stay 14 days or less on Pitcairn and arrive and depart on the same vessel. Visitors staying on the island for longer require permission from the governor, because the irregularity of transport means they're effectively residents of the island for the next several weeks or even months. To get permission requires an application in advance, meeting various conditions and a NZ$150 fee;☏+64 9 366-0186 Sights: The remains of theBountyare in Bounty Bay. The ship was deliberately burned and sunk by the mutineers, and it's been well picked over by divers in the meantime, but there's still an allure to seeing (what little is left of) the vessel of the true tale that made "Captain Bligh" and "theBounty" household names. TheBounty's anchor is on display in front of the Public Hall in the town square, where the library/post office building, and the Adventist church can also be found. The new museum in Adamstown contains artefacts from theBounty(including Fletcher Christian's Bible), stamps, issues ofNational Geographicfeaturing the islands, and other items of local interest. One of the ship's four cannons is planned to be displayed here. The island's school lies up in the western "suburbs" of Adamstown. The grave of John Adams, the last surviving mutineer who first Christianised the community, the only one with a preserved grave. Fletcher Christian's cave, past the school and further up, is where the lead mutineer is said to have watched for approaching ships and/or hid from his ruthless fellow settlers when necessary. A Galapagos tortoise named Mrs Turpin was left on the island in the early 20th century, and now lives in Tedside on the northwest shore of the island. Taro Ground in the south of Pitcairn is the largest flat area on the island and site of the island's traditional link to the outside world: its ham radio station. Flatland is a smaller plateau at the upper extent of Adamstown, with a tennis court, volleyball, and picnic facilities. Garnet's Ridge, at 300 m one of the highest parts of a tall island, offers great views to both the west and east. Highest Point is the... highest point on the island, at 337 m. Down Rope, a cliff on the southeast edge of the island, has ancient Polynesian petroglyphs in its face and an isolated sandy beach at its base. Gudgeon is a sea-level cave on the southwest side of the island, which hides a sandy beach in a large, wide space carved by the waves. DO: If the ocean is calm enough, go swimming in St Paul's Pool, a picturesque tidal pool nestled among the seaside rocks in eastern part of Pitcairn. (Swimming in the ocean itself generally isn't safe due to the rocky shoreline.) Sail yourself or perhaps travel with the locals to another of the islands. Oeno has sandy beaches suitable for swimming, Henderson offers rare opportunities for birdwatching and exploration of ancient caves and both are good for snorkelling or scuba diving among coral reefs and a few shipwrecks. Ducie is over 300 miles (480 km) away, out of range of the islanders' boats, and therefore rarely visited, but is also good for seeing rare birds. Every year on 23 January, "Bounty Day" is celebrated with a huge community dinner and the burning of a model of theBounty. Eat: There is a small co-operative general store which stocks imported foodstuffs from New Zealand and French Polynesia, mostly ordered by customers in advance. It's open 3 mornings a week for an hour. The local cooking relies heavily on seafood. Deep-fried nanwi (bluefish) is a local favourite, with red snapper, tuna, whitefish, grouper, wahoo and others also being common. Pilhi is made from puréed fruit (such as banana, sweet potato, or breadfruit) with sugar and milk, then baked to custard consistency. Food staples grown on the island include arrowroot, sweet potatoes, beans, tomatoes, cabbages, pineapples, melons, citrus fruits, bananas and breadfruit. Some families keep poultry and goats. Other places on island: Christian's Cafe.Owned by Steve & Olive Christian. It is open every Friday from 18:30 until late. A bar is also provided for customers. Browns Bakery.In the square every second Thursday at 17:00, selling freshly baked goods. Bounty Delectable.Takeaway meals is open on Wednesdays. They make the largest burgers on the island. Betty's Bakery.Freshly baked goods made to order. Fletcher Cafe.Fletcher Cafe is available for coffees, snacks and lunches to order. Dinner can also be provided on request. Alcohol was prohibited on Pitcairn prior to 1991, but is now legal. There is one café and bar, Christian's Café open on Fridays from 18:30 until late. The Government Store on the island sells alcohol and tobacco at duty free prices. Pitcairn has more public toilets than residents. Source: WikiVoyage

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