The notebook of Terres australes françaises
Switch from a port to an open landscape.
Sub-antarctic Archipelagos and isolated volcanic islands are mainly scientific, technical and authorized missions.
At your own pace
Identity summary
2 to 6 days
Spring · Summer · Autumn · Winter
Recommended car
Island · Coast · Volcano · Nature
Variable accessibility
Sweet rhythm
General presentation
Terres australes françaises
Sub-antarctic Archipelagos and isolated volcanic islands are mainly scientific, technical and authorized missions.
To understand what French Southern Lands is, you must look at Port-aux-Français, Archipel Crozet and Amsterdam Island. These places give us a view of a territory marked by island landscapes, coastline, volcanic landscapes and natural spaces and allow us to move from emblematic sites to more intimate stages.
See all
For a stay of 2 to 6 days, a quiet rhythm works well. Also to be anticipated: access to authorized missions and rotations and very demanding sub-antarctic conditions. A car is usually the easiest way to connect the different sectors. Accessibility varies from site to site and deserves to be verified step by step.
Strengths and constraints
Strengths
- Port-aux-Français
- Archipel Crozet
- Amsterdam Island
Before you choose
- Access to authorized missions and rotations
- Subantarctic conditions very demanding
Places worth visiting
A selection to start dreaming and organizing the stay — not an exhaustive list of everything there is to see.
Place indismissible
Port-aux-Français
Port-aux-Français is not a city but a scientific and logistical base laid in the Gulf of Morbihan, Kerguelen. Laboratories, docks, hangars and living buildings make up a working landscape in the middle of the wind, penguins and austere reliefs; access depends entirely on the authorized missions.
Nature and panorama
Archipel Crozet
The Crozet archipelago is an alignment of the steep volcanic islands, swept by the winds of the fortieths, where seabirds occupy the slopes and cliffs. On Possession Island, the Alfred Faure base recalls the scientific vocation of the territory; all human presence is under the control of the research and protection of species.
Place indismissible
Île Amsterdam
Amsterdam Island occurs alone in the Southern Indian Ocean, with the Martin-de-Vivies base, volcanic slopes and island vegetation fragments closely monitored. The site is particularly interested in this contrast between extreme isolation, scientific follow-up and traces of a medium profoundly altered by past introductions.
Place indismissible
Île Saint-Paul
In Saint Paul, a caldeira open to the sea forms a natural basin surrounded by dark walls. The island did not have permanent installation, which reinforces the feeling of landscape left to the wind, birds and southern hoops; landings, rare, are only done in strictly authorized settings.
Practical tips
This information helps know if the destination matches the planned trip before starting a fuller search.
To go further
More activities
Restaurants, walks, culture, leisure and outings to search without leaving the destination card.
The nearest destinations
The closest ideas on the map, to extend your trip.
Similar destinations
Same landscapes and the same pace of travel, elsewhere in the world.
