Located 350 km northeast of Tahiti, Rangiroa is the largest atoll in French Polynesia and the second-largest in the world.
Known as the “vast sky” or “endless lagoon,” it’s known for its vibrant marine life, including dolphins, sharks, and manta rays, in the Tiputa and Avatoru passes.
Approximately 2,500 to 3,000 people live on Rangiroa year-round. The population is concentrated in two main villages, Avatoru and Tiputa, located on the northern end of the atoll. And while Rangiroa has more than 400 small islets, only these towns are permanently inhabited.
I’m not going to lie—entering through the Tiputa Pass was sporty, to say the least. The waves were pretty intense. When leaving, we ended up taking the only other navigable route, Avatoru Pass.
Some of Our Favorite Things About Rangiroa
1. Jumping Dolphins
A community of 25 to 30 bottlenose dolphins resides all year round on the Tiputa Pass area and into Rangiroa Lagoon. Being full-time cruisers, we’ve seen lots of porpoises, but watching the wild dolphins jump through the waves on Rangiroa took it to a whole new level.
This naturally occurring show is especially spectacular at times of maximum outgoing current. We watched it from Les Relais de Josephine (read on for more).
There’s a dolphin viewpoint, but rather than seeing dolphins while we were there, we got to watch locals surf the waves on their outriggers. Fun!
2. Riding Bikes Around Avatoru
We rented bikes multiple times from Hokini Bicycle Rental. It’s located a short walk from the dinghy dock, and they never seemed to have a shortage of bikes.
We really enjoyed cycling up and down the atoll.
We spent some time at the Avatoru Pass, scoping it out for our eventual exit.
The dock was pleasant and even gave us a view of several sharks.
We rode past Avatoru Catholic Church several times, and since I enjoy ecclesiastical architecture, I just had to go inside and see the interior.
It did not disappoint. Look at that ceiling!
Each day ended with a spectacular sunset.
3. Gauguin’s Pearl Farm
When visiting French Polynesia, a tour of a pearl farm seems pretty mandatory given the importance of pearls in this region.
The one we took was through Gauguin’s Pearl Farm on Rangiroa. We thought the tour was well done and quite informative. It covered all aspects of pearl production, from oyster farming to the processing of pearls.
The tour ended at the gift shop, which we found quite expensive.
As of this writing, tours are offered Monday through Friday at 9:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. We did not need reservations.
4. Shopping
Speaking of shopping, near the Tiputa Pass sits a small, unpretentious store called Koo Koo Pareo. It’s one of my favorite local shops of all time.
I bought three gorgeous handpainted pareos and some handmade jewelry there. It’s not a large shop, but the owner was very gracious, and the pareos were beautiful.
The young woman who helped me was an absolute delight. We talked for quite a while.
As of this writing, they’re open Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The shop is located in a house right off the main road.
While riding bikes near the Avatoru Pass, we ended up on a residential street and happened upon another shop. We popped in and admired the impressive number of beautiful handmade goods and clothing items there.
The shop owner, Genevieve, was really sweet.
It is located somewhere around here:
The third shop we really liked was adjacent to (or part of) Ana Creations. I’m not sure if the two stores are related, based on the way the shopkeeper handled our transaction. Regardless, it’s the room on the right:
There, we found unique handmade goods at reasonable prices.
If you’re looking for jewelry, Ana Creations offers a beautiful selection, albeit a bit pricey.
5. Phare de Tiputa (Tiputa Lighthouse)
This gets an honorable mention because of its colorful story.
The old Tiputa lighthouse serves as a landmark for navigators and marks the Hiria pass, one of the two navigable passes of Rangiroa. But it is still waiting for its light, so it’s not useful at night.
The lighthouse was built of coral stone and lime under the direction of Administrator Hervé. Its construction, supervised by Tauarii Taputuarai, mobilized the able-bodied men of Tiputa after work when they returned from the fields during the years 1930 and 1931. Initially supposed to be equipped with a kerosene lamp by the administrator, the lighthouse has remained unlit all these years.
But the story doesn’t end there. The place where the lighthouse was built, Iniamore, was a somewhat cursed place where people suffering from leprosy, tuberculosis, or elephantiasis were cast out and confined without any shelter. It is also said that in the days when cannibalism was still practiced, the bones of those who had been eaten were also thrown there.
We saw it from the water and didn’t walk around the site because it’s located on the other side of the Tiputa Pass:
You can get there via a water taxi. Water taxis operate daily on Rangiroa, typically running every 15 to 30 minutes during peak morning and afternoon hours, with less frequent service (hourly) on Sundays and holidays. The service generally runs from roughly 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., charging a small cash fee per trip.
Accommodations
Hotel Kia Ora Resort and Spa
Admittedly, we didn’t stay at this resort (we came to the atoll via our boat), but we walked around the property and were quite impressed.
The grounds were pretty. We would also consider staying at Les Relais de Josephine (read on for more).
Where We Ate
1. Les Relais de Josephine
When visiting Rangiroa, you simply must eat at Les Relais de Joséphine at least once.
The service was impeccable, and the food was delicious.
Even more importantly, its patio offers a front row view of the dolphins jumping at Tiputa Pass.
We ate lunch there so we could see the dolphins during daylight. It was fabulous!
They also offer lodging. I would definitely consider staying there.
2. Pizza Moanatea
When we were there, Pizza Moanatea was being operated out of a food truck. I’m not sure if that’s always the case, but there was a nice patio with ample seating, so it really didn’t matter to us. It was run by a delightful French couple.
Not to brag, but we consider ourselves pizza connoisseurs. So when I say we loved the pizzas there, that’s a huge compliment, given how really, really picky we are about our pizzas. They were so delicious that we ate there multiple times during our stay on the atoll.
They accepted U.S. dollars as payment, so that was an unexpected, but nice, bonus.
3. Snack Chez Lili
Snack Chez Lili is located right at the end of the dinghy dock. The food was pretty good, but what we especially liked was the outdoor waterfront seating.
Getting There
We sailed to Rangiroa, but you can also get there via daily flights from Air Tahiti or Air Moana. The nonstop flight takes just about an hour from Tahiti.
The Rangiroa airport is conveniently located in Avatoru.
Getting Around
We enjoyed riding bikes around the atoll, but taxis are also pretty easy to get. The Rangiroa tourism website lists several.
If you are in Avatoru and want to visit Tiputa Village, you can easily do so by hopping on one of the readily accessible water taxis (see above).
Final Thoughts
We really loved our time on Rangiroa. In fact, it was our second-favorite atoll, just behind Fakarava.
The dolphins, alone, would be reason to come. But with welcoming, friendly people; great local shopping; and interesting sites, it offers so much more.
You can view a map of Rangiroa here.
