Manihi

13 km² • 648 residents

This is the lagoon where French Polynesian pearl farming began in the early 1960s, before spreading throughout the Tuamotu Archipelago. Mother-of-pearl oyster lines can still be seen suspended underwater, visible while snorkelling. Beyond that, life revolves around a few simple things: one village, Turipaoa, a single pass to the south, twenty-seven kilometres of motu, and very few visitors

Access

1-hour flight from Tahiti / 35-min flight from Rangiroa

Lagoon

27 km long, bordered by countless motu, with a single pass to the south.

Good to know

The historic birthplace of the black pearl industry — the country’s first pearl farm was established here.

Ideal for

Black pearls, diving, getting off the beaten track.

Not to be missed 

• Tairapa Pass
• The lagoon’s pearl farms
• The village of Turipaoa
• The “Cirque” and “Break” diving sites
• The deserted motu along the northern coast
• Traditional fish traps

Images credits
©TAHITI TOURISME/Overpeek Studio