Phosphate Pinnacles

The Phosphate Pinnacles are a surreal and haunting geological feature that covers much of Nauru's interior plateau, an area known as 'Topside.' These jagged limestone columns, some rising as high as 10 meters, are the ancient coral foundations of the island. For millennia, they were buried under thick layers of high-grade phosphate, formed from accumulated seabird droppings (guano). During the 20th-century mining boom, the phosphate was stripped away from between the rocks, leaving behind this skeletal landscape of sharp, weathered pillars. The result is a vast, grey labyrinth that stands in stark contrast to the lush coastal fringe of the island. While the interior was once covered in a dense tropical forest, the mining process left it largely barren, creating a 'moonscape' that has become a powerful symbol of environmental degradation and the cost of sudden wealth. Today, the pinnacles serve as a unique, if melancholic, tourist attraction, where visitors can walk through the remnants of a lost ecosystem and witness the raw geological core of this tiny Pacific nation.

Nearby cities

Baitsi

Baitsi is located in the north of Nauru and extends from the coast into the hilly interior.

Buada

Buada is the only landlocked district of Nauru.

Buada Historic Settlement

The fertile inland area around Buada Lagoon, a center for agriculture and settlement on the island for centuries.

Meneng

Meneng is an extensive district in the southeast of Nauru.

Aiwo

Aiwo is considered the main commercial hub of Nauru.

Nibok

Nibok is a district on the western coast of Nauru.

Denigomodu Settlement

Denigomodu is the economic residential hub for phosphate industry workers.

Boe

Boe is a small but densely populated administrative district in southwest Nauru.

Denigomodu

Denigomodu is the most populous district of Nauru.

Yaren

Yaren is the primary administrative district of Nauru and serves as the de facto capital.

Uaboe

Uaboe is a small coastal district in northwestern Nauru.

Anibare

Anibare is best known for the bay of the same name, which offers the island's finest swimming beach.

Ijuw

Ijuw is the easternmost district of Nauru.

Anetan

Anetan is a district on the northern coast of Nauru.

Arenibek

Arenibek is a small coastal settlement in the Anabar district.

History & landmarks

Phosphate Discovery Site

The location where vast phosphate deposits were identified around 1900, changing the course of Nauru's history forever.

Anibare Escarpment

This steep escarpment marks the transition from the central plateau to Anibare Bay on the eastern coast.

Meneng Terrace

The Meneng Terrace is a flat topographical step located between the high plateau and the southern coastline.

Eastern Plateau Rim

The eastern rim of the plateau features steep cliffs overlooking the narrow coastal plain of Ijuw.

Command Ridge

Command Ridge is the highest point in Nauru at 65 meters elevation.

Anibare Pinnacles

The Anibare Pinnacles are distinctive limestone formations rising from the coastal sand.

Moqua Well Area

The surroundings of Moqua Well are characterized by underground water reservoirs and specific moisture-loving vegetation.

Nature

Buada Lagoon

Buada Lagoon is a landlocked, brackish lake located in the center of the island.

Meneng Pandanus Groves

In Meneng, extensive groves of the Pandanus tree can be found.

More places

Central Plateau Ferns

New fern communities are developing on the central plateau following phosphate mining.

Conservation Nursery

The nursery serves the reforestation of areas damaged by mining.

Anibare Forest

The Anibare Forest is a rare remnant of the original tropical rainforest on the limestone terraces.

Nauru State House

The State House is the official residence of the President of Nauru.

Buada Pandanus Groves

The Pandanus groves around Buada Lagoon are a sanctuary for native flora.

Nauru Museum

The National Museum preserves Nauru's cultural heritage and phosphate mining history.

Buada Basin

The Buada Basin is a natural depression within the central plateau, containing the island's only inland lake.

Nauru Rehabilitation Corporation (NRC)

The NRC is responsible for restoring land areas destroyed by mining.