Rarioa was my first stop in the Tuamotus after a rather long stay in the Marquesas. I had already visited two Tuamotu islands before (Amanu and Hao), but now I would like to explore the “upper part” and visit some other Tuamotu islands. The typical structure of the Tuamotus is quite different from that of the Marquesas Islands. While the Marquesas are huge rocks rising high out of the ocean, the Tuamotus are very flat and consist of atolls. This means that to anchor you usually enter through a pass and move within the island (resp the atoll).
The atoll consists of a ring of many small islands, so-called motus. The Tuamotus are very flat. There are no mountains and the coconut palms dominate the look. These islands are more in keeping with the stereotype of a South Seas feeling than the Marquesas.
Raroia is a very typical example of a Tumotu atoll. I enjoyed my time on Rarioa very much. Especially the NE corner with the “Twin Palms Yacht Club” is very nice. On the other side of the atoll is a small village. The people are – like everywhere in French Polynesia – very nice, but the anchoring ground in front of the village is not ideal. It is very easy to forget the time on the different motus of Rarioa and just enjoy life…
