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French Polynesia

Fakarava atoll: a diver’s paradise

The Tuamotu archipelago is a large group of islands in French Polynesia formed almost exclusively by atolls. The atolls are flat coral islands that include vast lagoons within them. These islands were originally formed from high volcanic peaks, such as ...

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Huahine: ancient Polynesian temples and crops

Huahine Island is part of the Society Islands, and is the first of the Leeward group of islands which is encountered from Tahiti and Moorea. Huahine is located 175 km northwest of Tahiti. The island is made up of two ...

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Raiatea: the sacred island of French Polynesia

Raiatea is the second largest island of the Society Islands archipelago. The capital is the town of Uturoa, which is also the administrative center of the Leeward Islands (Îles sous le Vent). This town is located in the northern part ...

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Society Islands: the prototype of the South Sea islands

The archipelago of the Society islands is the most important from the economic and demographic point of view of French Polynesia, it is divided into the Windward Islands (Îles du Vent) and Leeward Islands (Îles Sous-le-Vent). These islands are located ...

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Ahe Atoll: the atoll of the pearl oysters

Ahe is an atoll in the archipelago of the Tuamotu islands, which measures 23.5 km in length and 12.2 km in width, inside which a 138 km² lagoon is enclosed. The island has a single passage to the ocean located ...

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Tuamotu islands: the islands of the atolls

The archipelago of the Tuamotu islands is the largest in French Polynesia, it in fact extends between 14 ° and 24 ° south latitude and 134 ° and 150 ° west longitude, on an area of the Pacific ocean as ...

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Rimatara: the westernmost of the Austral archipelago

Rimatara is the westernmost of the inhabited islands of the archipelago of the Austral islands. In fact, the island is located west of Rurutu just north of the tropic of Capricorn. Rimatara which measures only 8.6 km² is a circular ...

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Rapa: the most remote island in French Polynesia

The island of Rapa (40 km²) is what remains of a large volcano that currently reaches a height of 650 meters above sea level. This island is the most remote inhabited island of French Polynesia. In fact, it is located ...

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Raivavae: the Bora Bora of the Austral islands

Raivavae is a small island of about 16 sq km inhabited by about nine hundred inhabitants (2017 census) which is known as the Bora Bora of the Austral islands. Mountainous island located 730 km south-east of Tahiti, it is also, ...

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Tubuai: the first stop of the mutineers of the Bounty

Tubuai is an island that measures 45 sq km and has about two thousand inhabitants. This island represents the administrative center of the archipelago of the Austral islands. The island is located 640 km south of Tahiti, between the islands ...

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Rurutu: Polynesian crafts and whales

The island of Rurutu (32.7 km²) is the second largest island of the archipelago of the Austral islands. Rurutu is located 572 km southwest of Tahiti, between the islands of Rimatara and Tubuai. The highest point on the island is ...

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The climate of the Austral Islands: when to go

The climate of the Austral islands presents the worst weather conditions in the entire French Polynesia. In fact, due to the geographical position of the islands of the archipelago, which are located near the Tropic of Capricorn, the climate of ...

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Austral Islands: the southernmost archipelago of Polynesia

The Austral Islands are the southernmost group of islands in French Polynesia, they are located near the Tropic of Capricorn between 21 ° and 28 ° south latitude. Their total area reaches 148 sq km and their population slightly exceeds ...

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Fatu Hiva: the most spectacular island of the Marquesas

The island of Fatu Hiva (84 km², 587 inhabitants) is the southernmost island of the archipelago of the Marquesas islands. The island is in fact almost 80 km south of the island of Hiva Oa and is the most difficult ...

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Tahuata: an island with beautiful beaches and scenic bays

The island of Tahuata (61 km², 671 inhabitants) is part of the archipelago of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia. The island is located south of the large island of Hiva Oa. Only the narrow Bordelais canal, 4 km wide, ...

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Ua Huka: the wild horse paradise of the Marquesas

The island of Ua Huka (83 km², 571 inhabitants) is located in the archipelago of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia. The island is located 35 km east of the island of Nuku Hiva and 55 km northeast of the ...

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Ua Pou: the island with bizarre shaped mountains

The island of Ua Pou which has an area of 105 sq km is the third largest island of the Marquesas archipelago. This island is located about 45 km south of Nuku Hiva. The island has just over two thousand ...

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Eiao: an uninhabited and isolated island

The island of Eiao (43.8 sq km) is an uninhabited island, which, together with the small island of Hatutu (6.5 sq km, uninhabited) and the sandy island of Motu One, is part of the northernmost section of the Marquesas islands. ...

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Nuku Hiva: the largest island of the Marquesas

The island of Nuku Hiva (387 sq km, 2,660 inhabitants) is the largest island of the Marquesas. This is an island of great scenic beauty with high basaltic mountains, plateaus, waterfalls, green valleys, and rocky shores overlooking the sea. The ...

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Hiva Oa: the island of Paul Gauguin and Jacques Brel

The island of Hiva Oa (316 sq km, 1,986 inhabitants) is the second largest island, and today it is also second in importance, of the archipelago after Nuku Hiva. The first European to discover Hiva Oa was the Spanish navigator ...

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Cruise to the Marquesas Islands with the Aranui cargo ship

One of the most beautiful and interesting ways to visit the Marquesas islands is to take a cruise aboard the Aranui 5 cargo ship. This is an interesting combination of a transport ship and a cruise ship operating between Tahiti ...

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The climate of the Marquesas Islands: when to go

The climate of the Marquesas islands is sub-tropical, the prevailing winds greatly influence the climate, bringing precipitation along the southern and eastern coasts of the islands, which are covered with abundant tropical vegetation, while the north-western coasts receive little rain ...

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Marquesas Islands: the wildest islands of Polynesia

The Marquesas Islands are the part of French Polynesia closest to the equator. In fact they are located between 8 ° and 11 ° latitude south of the equator, and about 1,400 km north east of Tahiti, their longitude is ...

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Gambier Islands: an archipelago of French Polynesia

The Gambier islands, located just north of the Tropic of Capricorn, are the smallest and most isolated of the large archipelagos of French Polynesia. The islands are almost a continuation of the Tuamotu archipelago, in fact they are located at ...

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French Polynesia power plugs and sockets, telephones

FRENCH POLYNESIA: DOCUMENTS All visitors to French Polynesia must be in possession of a passport valid for at least 3 months following the date of arrival. The visa, for citizens of the European Union, is not necessary if you are ...

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The beaches and islands of the South Pacific

Luengoni, Lifou, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia. Author and Copyright Marco Ramerini

American Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Samoa, Fiji The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean in the world. It extends over a third of the earth’s surface. The Pacific contains around 25,000 islands, most of which are located ...

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Cyclones and hurricanes in the South Pacific

What is the period of cyclones and hurricanes in Polynesia? What is the hurricanes and cyclones season and which are the islands most at risk of tropical cyclones in the South Pacific? Cyclones and tropical hurricanes in the Pacific Ocean ...

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Practical advice for a travel to French Polynesia

The islands of French Polynesia, as well as all the beautiful islands of the South Pacific, are one of the favorite travel destinations for honeymooners. In this article I try to give some indications for those who want to make ...

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Maupiti: experience Polynesia in contact with the population

Maupiti is a small island in French Polynesia in the Society Islands archipelago. The island is located 40 km west of Bora Bora and is served by a small airport located on a “motu” which has air connections to the ...

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Bora Bora: the most beautiful island in the world

Bora Bora (about 8,800 inhabitants) is an island of volcanic origin, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands about 230 km north-west of Tahiti. The island measures approximately 29 sq km and is crossed by a single 32 km ...

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