Tetiaroa
French Polynesia · Windward Islands · 3 m
Description
Tetiaroa is a ring of twelve low motu around a shallow lagoon fifty kilometres north of Tahiti, once the private retreat of the Tahitian royal family and later bought by Marlon Brando after he filmed here. There is no pass through the reef, so nothing larger than a shallow-draft boat gets in and most visitors arrive by light aircraft from Papeete. One motu carries a resort that runs on solar power, the others are left to nesting seabirds and to the green turtles that come ashore to lay. A research station on the atoll studies the reef and the birds.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 5 days (optimal 3 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: April – November
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Tetiaroa lagoon and its motu
- Bird sanctuary on Motu Tahuna Iti
- Green turtle nesting beaches (October - February)
- The Brando resort on Motu Onetahi
- Tetiaroa Society research station
- Day trip by catamaran from Tahiti(Day trip)
- Snorkeling the shallow lagoon
- Royal marae and the Brando-era ruins
- Humpback whales offshore (July - November)
- Coconut groves and the old copra plantation
- Kayaking between the motu
Getting there
- Airports:
- TTI