Saint-Paul and Amsterdam Islands

Île Amsterdam and Île Saint-Paul form one of the most isolated districts of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF), lying in the southern Indian Ocean roughly halfway between South Africa and Australia. The only permanent settlement is the Martin-de-Viviès research station on Île Amsterdam, founded as Camp Heurtin and later known as La Roche Godon; Saint-Paul, about 85 km to the south, is uninhabited.

Both islands are volcanic and steep-sided. Amsterdam's highest point, Mont de la Dives, rises to 881 m, and its rugged coastline and cliffs are home to breeding seabirds, subantarctic fur seals and the endemic Amsterdam albatross. The Phylica arborea, the only tree species in the French Southern Territories, grows in wind-sheltered stands on Amsterdam, while Saint-Paul is known for its flooded caldera.

The station normally hosts roughly 25 people in winter and 50 in summer, working on meteorology, biology, geomagnetism and atmospheric research. Supplies and personnel arrive by the research and supply vessel Marion Dufresne from Réunion, and a small heliport serves the base; there is no commercial airport, road network or public accommodation.

The islands lie within the French Southern Lands National Nature Reserve and are part of the UNESCO World Heritage property 'French Austral Lands and Seas', inscribed in 2019. In January 2025, a vegetation fire affected a large part of Île Amsterdam and led to the temporary evacuation of the station, with technical and recovery missions following.

For travellers, Saint-Paul and Amsterdam are not a conventional destination: visits take place as part of scientific, logistical or official missions organised by the TAAF and the French Polar Institute. The appeal is their extreme isolation, subantarctic wildlife, volcanic scenery and the rare chance to experience one of the least visited places on Earth.