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An hour and a half away from Papeete by plane,
Fakarava is the second largest atoll in Polynesia.
The airport is located in Rotoava, one of the two main
villages. This atoll has a rectangular shape and is 60
km long and 25 km wide. Fakarava has two passes the
main one being Garuae, in the north (1 km wide) and a
smaller one, but prettier, being Tamakohua, in the south
near Tetamanu motu.
Both passes are a paradise for snorkelling and scuba
diving in a dream-like purple water where you can
have until 45 metres visibility. This untouched atoll is
a Unesco classified reserve, which provides endless and
exciting discoveries of preserved spots, where a
concentration of lagoon and ocean fish such as loach, meru, barracuda, rays and hammerhead or tiger sharks can
be found. The rich ecosystem is home to rare species
such as the hunting king-fisher, the Tuamotu palm and,
in the lagoons, tropical fish and crustaceans such as
sea cicadas.
The nature is not the only thing to be explored in
Fakarava. Enjoy a pearl farm tour or visit the
sea slug smoke house. Don’t miss the ancient village of Tetamanu with one of the first Catholic churches built
in coral and dating from 1874. The village of Rotoava
also hosts several black pearl farms, heavenly white
sand beaches and small islets near by, home to many
breeds of birds, oblivious to visitors.
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Main Figures |
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Archipelago |
Tuamotu Islands |
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Main
villages |
Tetamanu & Rotoava |
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Surface |
1,120
square km (lagoon) |
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Population |
699
(census 2002) |
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Highest Peak |
n/a |
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