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 ...
Read More »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 ...
Read More »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 ...
Read More »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 ...
Read More »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 ...
Read More »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 ...
Read More »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 ...
Read More »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, ...
Read More »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 ...
Read More »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 ...
Read More »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 ...
Read More »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 ...
Read More »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 ...
Read More »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, ...
Read More »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 ...
Read More »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 ...
Read More »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. ...
Read More »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 ...
Read More »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 ...
Read More »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 ...
Read More »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 ...
Read More »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 ...
Read More »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 ...
Read More »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 ...
Read More »The beaches and islands of the South Pacific
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 ...
Read More »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 ...
Read More »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 ...
Read More »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 ...
Read More »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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