DISCLAIMER: We sailed to Makatea in July of 2025. It sounds like the mooring balls have since been upgraded, but surge and current may still cause complications (cruisers: read the reviews on NoForeignLand).
We had been looking forward to going to Makatea for quite some time. After all, when you go to Makatea, you get the opportunity to participate in a unique, interesting tour. It’s led by Julien Mai, the mayor of Makatea.
The tour even includes a meal at his home. He knows all about the atoll’s past and the future of climbing tourism on Makatea. Amazing!
It has an interesting history. From 1917 to 1966, this island was the engine of the French Polynesian economy. It was rich in high-quality phosphate, used for fertilizer. At its peak, thousands of people lived here, enjoying cinemas, tennis courts, and a bustling port.
Then, in 1966, the mining abruptly stopped. The workers left, and the jungle returned.
Unlike its Tuamotu neighbors, which are low-lying rings of coral, Makatea was shoved 80 meters (260 feet) out of the sea by ancient tectonic forces. It is a “raised atoll,” a fortress of limestone cliffs crowned with dense jungle.
For decades, it was erased from tourist maps and known only for its industrial scars. Today, however, it is re-emerging as the South Pacific’s secret capital of adventure.
When you visit, you can tour the main village (“ghost town”) of Vaitepaua, enjoy world-class rock climbing, hike Mount Puutiare, go caving, participate in the quest for the kaveu (coconut crab), and snorkel the drop-off. That’s a lot!
This island seems like a must-see.
Our Visit to Makatea
This is more of a cautionary tale than a travel story.
When you sail to Makatea, you must moor—there are no anchorages. The mooring field is on the west side of the atoll.
“No problem,” we thought. We love mooring fields.
So I pre-arranged a tour with the mayor, Julien. With everything all set, we raised anchor a few days later.
The 49-nautical-mile passage to Makatea took about 13 hours. We arrived at around 5:00 p.m. With the sun setting soon, we had to be efficient.
Two of us went up to the bow to search for the mooring balls. There were supposed to be four, plus a fifth, the latter of which is “fake” (not usable). A catamaran was already moored on the south side.
The mooring balls we saw were really close to shore and/or some concrete structures. As the waves crashed against the rocks, I pulled out my phone and started calling and texting Julien. I don’t fault him for delayed responses, as it was a Sunday.
Julien did eventually let me know that all four moorings were still available (he must not have known about the catamaran that was there, since he was on the other side of the atoll). He said that the best one is the one on the right (south) side. That’s where, unfortunately, the other catamaran was already moored.
Here are a few videos about it:
Eventually, we decided to abort the mission and go straight to Pape’ete.
Doing so put us on a course to arrive at around 7:00 p.m. the next day—not ideal, since we prefer not to anchor in the dark. But we felt we had no choice, so off we went.
Things We Learned
We departed Tikehau at 4:00 a.m. We should have left earlier, thereby giving us more of a cushion at Makatea. We probably should not have arrived on a Sunday.
We should have searched blogs to learn more about the mooring field from those who had previously been there. (Never assume it’s straightforward.)
The decision to leave was the right one.
If you moor in Makatea, the first ball on the right (furthermost south) is the best one, according to Julien.
Final Thoughts
Makatea sounds like an amazing island, one you can only reach by boat. With world-class climbing, hiking, caving, snorkeling, and crab hunting, it sounds like an adventurer’s paradise.
Perhaps someday we’ll get to return, possibly on a charter boat.
You can view a map of Makatea here.
