Tuamotu cruises: how to choose your itinerary

1 / Tuamotu cruises: adventure in paradise

Choosing the Tuamotu as the destination for your next cruise means:

• discovering a magical sailing territory between the ocean, the inner seas of great atolls and sheltered lagoons

• an incomparable, indescribable light that highlights the lagoon’s shades of blue, green and white
• many paradisiacal, mostly untouched anchorages where we are alone in the world
  

• incomplete charts that invite you to discover unexplored anchorages—that is adventure!
• varied underwater landscapes
• an incomparable wildlife ranging from tiny butterflyfish to gentle sharks (we have no nasty sharks)
• a vast, desert-like territory, which means mostly sunny weather because clouds cannot catch on the coconut palms—the highest points of the atolls
• a unique, isolated archipelago, outside time, with an authentic population

Finally, it promises a complete change of scenery.

A cruise is the only way to discover several types of islands, from untouched to more tourist-oriented, without relying on often non-existent inter-island connections.

The catamaran, able to anchor in very shallow water, guarantees that you can explore some of the most spectacular anchorages and enjoy your own private swimming pool every day :-)

2 / What to do in the Tuamotu on a cruise

The first thing to do is nothing.... the Tuamotu invite contemplation, and it is easy to feel fulfilled without any particular activity.

That said, besides beautiful passages from one atoll to another and within the atolls, many activities are available to delight the more active among you:

Snorkelling and scuba diving

• snorkelling: a variety of sites, marine life and flora with exceptional water clarity
• scuba diving: atolls with world-renowned sites such as Fakarava, with local dive clubs

Water sports and activities at sea

• water sports such as kitesurfing and wingfoiling
• kayaking around the motu
• discovering and/or trying spearfishing or harpoon fishing

Wildlife watching and exploration

• wildlife watching: many birds to discover
• walking and gleaning seafood on the reef, with the pleasure of enjoying what you catch
• walking and hiking along flat paths and roads between lagoon and ocean

Relaxation and cultural discovery

• relaxing on the beach, where you will always have it to yourself

• discovering local specialities: enjoy lagoon fish and other maoa (a type of whelk) or pahua (giant clams)

• discovering local life and culture through cooking or craft workshops
• sharing with the local population through sporting and/or playful activities

3 / Sailing areas in the Tuamotu

Geography of the Tuamotu archipelago

Let’s begin with a little geography of the Tuamotu archipelago:

• lies between the Marquesas Islands to the north, the Austral Islands to the south and the Society Islands to the west
• consists of 76 atolls—lagoons surrounded by a reef with islets called motu—of which only a small number are inhabited
• is very large (1,760 km), stretching from west-north-west to east-south-east
• has a small population (around 17,000 inhabitants), ranging from about a thousand on a handful of atolls to one or two hundred on the smallest; the Paumotu are very welcoming and love sharing their culture and daily life, outside time
• is generally supplied by cargo ships once or twice a month—life in isolation...

Where should you sail in the Tuamotu?

This archipelago stretches across around a thousand miles, with two sailing areas where the main points of interest are concentrated.

Northern area: Tikehau and Rangiroa

Tikehau

Tikehau is a small atoll one day’s sailing from its large neighbour Rangiroa. Its long-established tourism development (guesthouses, a dive club and a luxury hotel) gives it good air connections. Its pass is rich in fish and its beautiful lagoon is navigable.

Rangiroa

Rangiroa is the second-largest atoll in the world, and its Tiputa Pass is known for its abundance of fish and dolphins. A true inner sea (45 nautical miles from east to west and 18 from north to south), its sail-friendly lagoon offers a wide range of cruise anchorages. Long the best-known atoll, its daily air service and accommodation on the main motu (guesthouses, hotels and dive clubs) make it an attractive tourist destination.

Central area: from Toau to Tahanea via Fakarava

Fakarava

Fakarava is the largest, best-known and most developed of these central atolls. The worldwide reputation of its dive sites (Garuae Pass in the north and Tetamanu in the south) has supported tourism in its pretty village, and today daily flights, cruise-ship calls, dive clubs, a hotel and guesthouses are all available. Its central position in the group makes it possible to organise off-the-beaten-track cruises to neighbouring atolls.

Toau

Toau, north of Fakarava and a half-day’s sail from Garuae Pass, embodies the Robinson Crusoe experience. This atoll, inhabited by one or two families and with a pass that can have strong currents, is worth the adventure. The waters around the pass are rich in fish and home to large pelagic species. Its unsurveyed lagoon offers varied anchorages, from a white-sand cove to a motu facing the reef, alone in the world. A few sailboats and catamarans in the distance complete this dream setting.

Kauehi

Kauehi, to the south-east and a day’s sail away, embodies the warmth of Paumotu hospitality. This small atoll, with its wonderful pass and magnificent anchorages, has retained its distinctly Paumotu character. Its village, bordered by a beautiful white-sand beach, is an opportunity to meet the inhabitants over a game of pétanque and discover traditional activities such as copra-making and crafts. Nothing disturbs the tranquillity of the place apart from laughter and songs during a sunset aperitif. Snorkelling is also excellent, with coral formations teeming with fish, sharks and manta rays. Kauehi is undoubtedly one of the Tuamotu’s pearls.

Tahanea

Tahanea, 50 nautical miles farther south-west, is an uninhabited atoll occasionally visited by inhabitants of the neighbouring atoll for fishing and copra-making. Adventure awaits, with abundant marine life and isolated anchorages. Snorkelling, reef gleaning and spearfishing punctuate the days.

4 / The different types of cruises

A cruise in the Tuamotu has to be earned, it seems, because compared with the Society Islands, the cruise offering is more limited.

There are plenty of reasons:

• the distance between the atolls and Tahiti makes repositioning difficult for charter boats that are not based in the area
• provisioning is complex because there are no supermarkets, which requires good knowledge of all the alternative local sources of supplies
• finally, sailing in the Tuamotu requires experience and excellent knowledge of the sailing areas. Marking is often partial, with unsurveyed zones that require visual navigation. This is also what lets you leave the beaten track and discover completely wild spots.

Large cruise ships

There are no proposed itineraries apart from the Aranui and Gauguin, which each call for 24 hours as part of their route.

Boat hire or bareboat

Unless you have plenty of time and experience sailing in the Tuamotu, rental is not possible given the navigation constraints and the absence of a departure base in the Tuamotu.

Classic charter boats

Dream Yacht Charter offers a cabin cruise of a few days in Rangiroa.

Apart from that, a few boats offer private cruises mainly to Tikehau and Rangiroa, as these northern atolls are the most accessible from Tahiti. For diving enthusiasts, Aqua Tiki organises cruises departing from Fakarava.

Charter boats based in the Tuamotu

Some boats are based in the Tuamotu for much of the year.

Less standardised than traditional charter companies, these operators offer tailor-made cruises. They have the advantage of knowing their sailing areas perfectly, and their local roots make it easier for you to meet the local population.

This is exactly our case: between April and October, Na Maka, Tahiti Guest Boat’s catamaran, is very often based in Kauehi, in the Tuamotu.

This allows us to easily offer cruises in the Tuamotu, including our favourite: 7 days in Kauehi.

5 / Practical details

When should you cruise in the Tuamotu?

In Polynesia, there are two seasons: a so-called dry and cool season from May to October, and a rainy, hot and humid season from November to April.

In the Tuamotu, these two seasons are less pronounced because clouds dissipate quickly. It is possible to plan a cruise without taking too much weather risk between April and November. December to March is hot and more likely to bring rain.

May, June and September–October, before and after the peak season, are also good choices.

How do you get there?

Your cruise will probably begin in the Tuamotu because the archipelago is far from, and upwind of, the Society Islands.

Two airlines, Air Moana and Air Tahiti, serve Tikehau, Rangiroa and Fakarava. Together, they offer almost a daily flight from Tahiti to these atolls.

Air Tahiti serves the entire Tuamotu archipelago, including Apataki and Kauehi, which can be interesting departure bases depending on your cruise programme, especially for a one-way itinerary. This can be a good option for visiting several atolls without increasing sailing time.

What not to forget in your luggage

As for clothing, apart from swimsuits, a hat, sunglasses, shorts, T-shirts and a light sweatshirt, you do not need much on a boat. Even so, a few items, while not essential, can improve your comfort:

• your own snorkelling gear, because you spend a lot of time in the water in the Tuamotu
• water shoes, very useful for walking on the reef, and trainers for hiking enthusiasts
• if you need to stay connected (although the Tuamotu invite complete disconnection!), remember to get a VINI SIM or eSIM before departure (Vini offers the best connection in the islands)
• your medication, sunscreen and mosquito repellent, because apart from Rangiroa and Fakarava, there are no pharmacies.

Whichever sailing area you choose to explore, the Tuamotu will amaze you. You will probably have questions, so do not hesitate to contact us—we are always available to talk about the Tuamotu!