Must-see attractions in The Tuamotus

South of the atoll, an hour by boat from Avatoru, Île aux Récifs is an area dotted with raised feo (coral outcrops), weathered shapes chiselled by erosion…

This is what many people visualise when imagining a Polynesian paradise: a string of motu and coral reefs has formed a natural pool on the edge of the…

A double crescent of dreamy beaches split by a narrow spit of white-and-pink coral sands, Les Sables Roses seems to come right out of central casting for…

Most islanders live in Tuherahera, in the southwest of the atoll. Find peace in this pretty village, bursting with uru (breadfruit), coconut trees,…

Most islanders live in Rotoava village at the northeastern end of the atoll, 4km east of the airport. Aside from Rangiroa’s Avatoru, this is the most…

Very few visitors venture to this charmingly quiet village edging the eastern side of Tiputa Pass. Although it doesn't have tourist facilities (all…

A bit of a local’s secret, Plage du PK9 is – you guessed it – 9km west of Rotoava (go past the airport and follow the dirt track towards the northern pass…

Simply divine. Near the northwestern corner of Fakarava, Lagon Bleu features an indescribably lovely stretch of white-sand coral beach, turquoise-blue…

Marae Papiro is a well-kept marae (traditional temple) on the edge of a hoa, about 14km from the village. In the centre of this marae you can see the…

A handful of inhabitants also live in Tetamanu village, a tiny settlement on the edge of Tumakohua Pass, which is as backwater as backwater gets (despite…

Île d’Eden is not a traditional tourist site per se, but a working farm operated by a handful of families belonging to the Church of the New Testament…

This photogenic 15m-tall grey turret (dating from 1957) looks as if it’s on loan from a medieval castle. The lighthouse is no longer in operation. To get…

Vin de Tahiti has a 6-hectare vineyard planted on a palm-fringed motu about 10 minutes by boat from Avatoru village. This is the only atoll vineyard in…

This partly restored marae built of coral slabs sits in a coconut grove beside a lovely strip of coral sand, about 400m past Plage du PK9. The beach…

Avatoru won’t leap to the top of your list of preferred villages in French Polynesia, but its location, right by Avatoru Pass and the lagoon, is stunning…

The PK10.5 marks the end of the dirt road, just on the edge of the phenomenal Garuae Pass. By incoming or outgoing current, the pass gets really rough,…

To the east of the lagoon, a crescent-shaped coral spit covered in small shrubs is a favourite nesting place for oio (brown noddies), tara (great…

The Rocher aux Tortues refers to a big coral outcrop lying about 4.5km north of the village on the exterior reef. Its base has been undercut by water…

The tiny village of Pahua is divided by a pass a few metres wide and no deeper than 1.5m, suitable only for very small boats. A bridge spans the pass and…

A great way to get a feel for Ahe is to visit this islet, which has the only remaining patch of primary forest in the Tuamotus, which consists of imposing…