Atoll of Fakarava

Fakarava is the second larger atoll of French Polynesia after Rangiroa. Located by 16°19'60 of southern latitude and 145°37' of longitude in Archipelago of Tuamotu, the more lengthened archipelagoes of French Polynesia, Fakarava is 1-hour flight from Tahiti and 35mn flight from Rangiroa and respectively 450 km distant from Tahiti and 267 km distant from Rangiroa.

The shape of the atoll is a rectangular form, 60-km length and 25 km width; its reef crown is made up of multiple small islands.

Fakarava is composed of two principal villages, Rotoava, in the NorthEast near the airport and close to the greatest Garuae north pass, 1 km wide. The second village of Fakarava, Tetamanu, is located at the south of the atoll by Tumakohua pass. It was the principal village at the beginning of the years 1900.

Idyllic, the spot of the pension Tetamanu Village and Tetamanu Sauvage offers splendid pink sand beaches with motu (small islands) One finds many remains of the ancient village Tetamanu as the first church of Tuamotu built out of coral, going back to 1874, which testifies to a rich past.

The southern pass, Tumakohua near Tetatamanu village, very full of fishes, is accessible on all the levels from diving.
Tetamanu Diving Center proposes drifting dives along this pass.

This protected atoll is part of with its six close islands, of which initially Taiaro, of a reserve of biosphere classified by UNESCO. It testifies to the richnesses of the ecosystem of these atolls: particularly rare fauna and flora, with the kingfisher hunter, the palm trees of Tuamotu and, in the lagoons, of the shellfish specimens such as the squilles or cigalles of sea.