The Rock of Polynesia — coral chasms, spinner dolphins, and the world's smallest national capital with the darkest skies
Alofi is the capital of Niue — a tiny 261-square-kilometre raised coral atoll in the South Pacific, one of the world's largest coral islands and one of the least densely populated countries on earth (fewer than 1,500 residents). The island is famous for its dramatic sea chasms (arches, caves, and chasms eroded into the coral limestone), reliable spinner dolphin encounters in the lagoon, humpback whale season (July–October), and some of the darkest skies in the Pacific. Niue was the first country in the world to offer island-wide free wifi.
Niue was settled by Polynesian voyagers around 900 CE, with later waves from Samoa and Tonga creating a population with complex clan rivalries. Captain Cook attempted to land three times in 1774 and was repelled by warriors painting their teeth red with banana juice — he named it Savage Island, a characterisation the Niueans have spent centuries reversing. The island became a British Protectorate in 1900 and was administered by New Zealand from 1901; it became a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand in 1974, with all Niueans holding New Zealand citizenship. The island's po…