Pitcairn Island is probably best known as the remote island in the South Pacific where, in 1790, the mutineers of HMAV Bounty finally found refuge with their Tahitian companions after seizing the ship a few days’ sail out of Tahiti.

Fewer people know that Pitcairn Island is a British Overseas Territory, one of four small, diverse and unique islands which encompass a large exclusive economic zone, its pristine waters home to many endemic species, and protected since September 2016 by one of the world’s largest Marine Protected Areas (836,000 km2). Today, the culture on the island blends British, Polynesian and wider Pacific roots, a legacy of its historic and contemporary links.

Pitcairn is the only inhabited island of the Pitcairn Islands Group. It is situated 2170 km east-south-east of Tahiti, 1570 km west of Easter Island and 5310 km north-east of New Zealand. The other islands of the group, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno, support fragile ecologies and unique habitats. Henderson Island has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988. All four islands have sub-tropical climates. Pitcairn, in particular, has rich volcanic soil and lush vegetation.

The islands are accessible only by sea. A quarterly supply ship transports necessary supplies and materials to the island. The supply ship also provides a passenger service between Pitcairn and Mangareva, in French Polynesia. See the shipping schedule Here

There are no regular passenger services to Henderson, Ducie or Oeno. This means the Pitcairn Islands group is among the most remote in the world.