Avatoru won’t leap to the top of your list of preferred villages in French Polynesia, but its location, right by Avatoru Pass and the lagoon, is stunning. The two churches – one Catholic and one Mormon – are about the only buildings of interest.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Gauguin’s Pearl

1.9 MILES

There are free tours (in English) of the pearl farm next to the boutique. They include a pearl-grafting demonstration. Call for free pick-up.

2. Vin de Tahiti

3.5 MILES

Vin de Tahiti has a 6-hectare vineyard planted on a palm-fringed motu about 10 minutes by boat from Avatoru village. This is the only atoll vineyard in…

3. Tiputa

6.1 MILES

Very few visitors venture to this charmingly quiet village edging the eastern side of Tiputa Pass. Although it doesn't have tourist facilities (all…

4. Lagon Bleu

18.53 MILES

This is what many people visualise when imagining a Polynesian paradise: a string of motu and coral reefs has formed a natural pool on the edge of the…

5. Île aux Récifs

19.86 MILES

South of the atoll, an hour by boat from Avatoru, Île aux Récifs is an area dotted with raised feo (coral outcrops), weathered shapes chiselled by erosion…

6. Île d’Eden

23.46 MILES

Île d’Eden is not a traditional tourist site per se, but a working farm operated by a handful of families belonging to the Church of the New Testament…

7. Motu Puarua

25.93 MILES

Lying almost in the middle of the lagoon, the rocky Motu Puarua hosts several species of ground-nesting birds, including brown noddies and uaau (red…

8. Les Sables Roses

28.82 MILES

The southeast shores of the atoll are fringed with truly amazing ‘Pink Sands Beaches’ that really do glow a light shade of pink, a result of finely…