Kosrae

The "Island of the Sleeping Lady", with the stone-walled ruins of ancient Lelu, mangrove channels and pristine coral reefs: one of the Pacific's last hidden gems.

Kosrae is the easternmost state of the Federated States of Micronesia, a high volcanic island of about 110 km² nicknamed the "Island of the Sleeping Lady" because its ridgeline resembles a woman lying on her back. Only about 6,000 people live here, and a ring road links the villages of Lelu, Tofol, Tafunsak, Malem and Utwe, while Walung in the southwest still has no road access. The highlights fall into three groups: the 13th-century city ruins built from stacked basalt columns on Lelu Island and the Menka ruins in the rainforest; native ecosystems such as the Utwe–Walung mangrove channels and the Yela ka forest; and the healthy reefs around the island, where the Lelu Harbor blue hole, wrecks and reef-slope dive sites offer superb visibility and very few visitors. The climate is hot, humid and rainy year-round, relatively drier Dec–Apr, and the island is almost never hit by typhoons. Getting here means taking United's "Island Hopper" from Guam or Honolulu; flights are limited each week, so plan your trip around the schedule. There is no public transportation; rent a car or hire a driver through your hotel. Plan on 4–6 days. Kosrae is predominantly Christian and almost everything closes on Sunday, when diving and noise are frowned upon; dress modestly. The currency is the US dollar and card acceptance is limited, so bring cash.

Top sights

• Leluh Ruins – The ruins of a stone-walled city-state on Lelu Island, dating from the 13th to 19th centuries. It was once the residence of the Kings and n…
• Utwe-Walung Mangrove Channels – An ancient mangrove waterway inside the southern coast biosphere reserve. You can paddle through by canoe or kayak to the village of Walung.
• Menke Ruins – An ancient stone ruin deep in the jungle of the upper Finkol River, said to be the shrine of Kosrae's goddess
• Mount Finkol – Kosrae's highest peak at about 634 meters, reached by a tough, guided climb through cloud rainforest
• Sleeping Lady – Kosrae's central ridge resembles a reclining woman and is the island's emblem; the classic view is from the northwest coast near the airport
• Blue Hole – A deep blue underwater sinkhole in Lelu Harbor, once sacred to Kosraeans and famous for giant stingrays and schools of fish
• Lelu Hill WWII Sites – Remnants of WWII Japanese caves, tunnels and gun emplacements on a small hill on Lelu Island, with a hike overlooking Lelu Harbor
• Walung – A traditional village on the southwest coast with no road access, where white beaches, coconut groves and shallow reef flats remain unspoil…
• Kosrae State Museum – A small museum next to the state government in Tofol, showing traditional Kosraean objects, Lelu Ruins archaeology and colonial history
• Yela Ka Forest – The world's last large freshwater swamp forest of Calophyllum (ka) trees, with giant ancient trees whose buttress roots are a sight to see
• Leonora Wreck – The two-masted ship of legendary pirate Bully Hayes, which sank off Utwe Harbor in 1874, is a historic wreck dive site

Where to eat

• Nautilus Resort Restaurant – The main restaurant in Kosrae, facing the sea, with air-conditioned indoor seating or poolside tables, known for its sa…
• Bully's Mangrove Restaurant at Senny's Treelodge – An open-air waterside restaurant reached by a boardwalk through the mangroves, famous for mangrove crab and fish sashim…

Itineraries

• Micronesia Island Hopper Crossing – Follow the United Airlines Island Hopper route east from Guam, passing through Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae to Majuro.