Shopping and markets in Naqara: the practical guide to Taveuni's main town
Naqara is the commercial heart of Taveuni Island. While most visitors to the island stay in Matei to the north, within easy reach of the airport, dive operators, and restaurants, Naqara is where the real island life happens. It is where locals buy their groceries, where farmers bring their produce to sell, where fishermen unload the morning catch, and where the only ATM on the island sits.
It is not a tourist market. There are no souvenir stalls, no smoothie bars, no curated food experiences. What Naqara offers is something more interesting: a genuine slice of everyday Fijian life that most visitors to Fiji never see. Hot and unhurried, with locals happy to chat and stall holders genuinely delighted to see an unfamiliar face, a morning in Naqara is one of the more quietly memorable things you can do on Taveuni.
From Ucuilagi, Naqara is approximately 15 to 20 minutes by taxi along the sealed coastal road.
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Overview
Location: Approximately 12 to 13 kilometres south of Matei on Taveuni's east coast
From Ucuilagi :15 to 20 minutes by taxi. Approximate fare FJD 15 to 25 depending on pickup point
Market hours: Monday to Saturday, approximately 10am to 2pm. Closed Sundays
Busiest day: Saturday, when additional sellers arrive from the surrounding countryside
Payment: Cash only at all market stalls. Small change recommended. Some shops and supermarkets accept card
ATM: The only ATM on Taveuni is in Naqara. Withdraw enough for the duration of your stay
The market stalls
In the centre of Naqara, a strip of seven to ten open-air stalls lines the main road. They are simple structures, nothing elaborate, and that is part of the charm. The ladies who run them are warm and sociable — they love seeing visitors, and the kids working alongside them are equally curious. Do not be in a hurry. This is not the kind of place that rewards it.
Saturday is the best day to go. Additional sellers arrive from the surrounding countryside in the backs of pickup trucks, setting up makeshift stalls selling eggs, watermelon, and whatever is in season. On a regular weekday the market is quieter but still worth the trip. Go before midday for the best selection.
Beyond the main strip, smaller stalls are dotted through the village and along the roadside in the surrounding countryside. If you see something interesting as you drive through, stop.
Fresh produce you can find, depending on the season
| Fruit | Vegetables | Root Crops | Herbs & Spices |
| Breadfruit | Cucumber | Cassava | Chillies |
| Pawpaw | Eggplant | Taro | Coriander |
| Mango | Tomatoes | Carrot | Ginger |
| Passionfruit | Lettuce | Kava root | Okra |
| Avocado | Long beans | ||
| Pineapple | Capsicum | ||
| Watermelon | |||
| Cumquat | |||
| Bananas | |||
| Amrak (Star Fruit) |
Hot food: samosas and roti wraps
Several stalls sell freshly made samosas and roti wraps each morning. They are not made on site but prepared fresh each morning before the market opens and brought in. Go early. The potato curry filling inside is still warm in the morning and considerably less so by the afternoon. Fillings vary by day: beef, tuna, chicken, or vegetable. They are inexpensive, filling, and one of the better things you will eat in Naqara.
Fresh fish
As you drive into Naqara from the north, just after the bridge, there is a small fish stall on the roadside. This is Abby's Fish Shop, easy to spot from the purple double-storey building nearby. The fish here is caught daily and frozen to keep it safe — so "fresh" means very recently caught, not fresh from the water that morning. You rummage through a large chest freezer and pick out what you want. They give you the whole fish, gutted.
What is available depends entirely on what came in that day. Opening hours are variable and driven by the catch rather than a fixed schedule. If you pass and it is open, it is worth stopping. Some locals follow Abby's Fish Shop on Facebook for updates on when new stock has arrived.
Tip
If fresh fish is on the menu for the week, ask Isoa. He has local connections and can often source fish directly, or advise when it is worth making the trip to Naqara specifically for the fish shop.
Bread and baking
Directly across the road from the main market stalls is a small shop selling bread, including wholemeal loaves, and some traditional Fijian baking. Look for vakalolo, a steamed Fijian dessert made with cassava and coconut cream, available when the season and the baker align. Two local bakeries in Naqara are worth knowing: Ateluma Enterprise, which is well known for hot breads and pastries, and Leen's Bakery, a popular spot for fresh cakes and daily baked goods. Paradise Cafe at the top of town also bakes fresh in-house daily, including bread, pies, and sweet treats.
Fresh bread from Naqara for breakfast on the deck at Ucuilagi, with fruit picked from the garden that morning, is a combination that takes some beating.
YanuYanu: coconut ice cream
YanuYanu is a small local producer in Naqara making dairy-free frozen treats from coconut cream and fresh island fruit. The flavours change with the season: guava, mango, soursop, and vudi (plantain) are among the combinations they are known for, all made with natural local sweeteners and no artificial ingredients. It is not a shop in the conventional sense, more of a local find, but worth seeking out on a hot afternoon in Naqara.
YanuYanu: coconut ice cream
Hand crafts
Just a minute or two north of Naqara in the neighbouring area of Somosomo, the Na Somo Ra Marama Handicraft Centre sits inside the Provincial Council Building. Local women here are trained to cut, shape, and polish mother-of-pearl and mabe pearl shells into necklaces, earrings, and other handmade pieces. The project is supported by Civa Fiji Pearls and is a genuine community livelihood initiative rather than a tourist souvenir operation. The centre is generally open on Mondays and Tuesdays. Buying here directly supports the women who make the work.
Tips for a Naqara morning
Bring cash and small change
All market stalls are cash only. The only ATM on Taveuni is in Naqara, so withdraw what you need for the week while you are there.
Go in the morning
Stalls open around 10am and are at their best before midday. Hot food is warmest in the morning. Saturday has the widest selection. Nothing opens on Sundays.
Taxi from Ucuilagi
Approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Ask Isoa to arrange a taxi and to wait while you shop, or arrange a return pickup time. Fare is approximately FJD 15 to 25 each way.
Take your time
Naqara is not a polished market experience. It is hot, authentic, and genuinely local. The stall holders are warm and the atmosphere is relaxed. Do not rush it.
One more thing
The SunCity supermarket near Matei Airport stocks most everyday essentials including beer, wine, and basics, and is considerably closer to Ucuilagi than Naqara. For a full grocery shop or a fresh produce run, Naqara is the destination. For top-ups between market days, SunCity is the practical option.
Planning a stay on Taveuni?
