Top Things to Do in Nauru

Nauru is the third-smallest country on Earth — a single raised coral island of just 21 square kilometers in the central Pacific, closer to the equator than almost any other nation. This is a place where you can drive the entire coastline in 30 minutes, where the interior plateau bears the scars of a century of phosphate mining that once made Nauru the wealthiest nation per capita on the planet, and where the Pacific Ocean stretches unbroken to the horizon in every direction. The island's story is one of extreme boom and bust, and that history shapes every aspect of the visitor experience. For the rare traveler who reaches Nauru — only a handful of flights per week connect the island to Brisbane and a few Pacific destinations — the appeal is precisely its remoteness and singularity. There are no resort developments, no tourist infrastructure to speak of, and no pretense of being a vacation destination. What you find instead is a small, close-knit community living on a tiny speck of coral, ocean sunsets of extraordinary intensity, and the surreal moonscape of the mined-out interior, where limestone pinnacles stand like the ruins of a civilization that stripped its own land bare. It is one of the most thought-provoking destinations in the Pacific. Practically, Nauru operates on Australian dollars, English is widely spoken alongside Nauruan, and accommodation options are extremely limited. Visitors should book well in advance, bring any specialty supplies they need, and approach the island with curiosity and respect for a community that has endured one of the most dramatic economic reversals in modern history.