Tetamanu Village
Tetamanu
A former capital site beside the South Pass with an old coral-stone church built in 1874, where you can snorkel with sharks right off the dock.
Tetamanu was the former administrative centre of Fakarava. In the 19th century it was one of the earliest Catholic mission sites in the Tuamotu Archipelago. The village keeps the Notre-Dame-de-Paix church, built from coral stone in 1874, along with an old cemetery. Today only a few households and diving guesthouses remain. The village lies right beside the South Pass, and you can snorkel from the dock to see grey reef shark groups and extensive coral. The boat trip from Rotoava takes 1.5-2 hours, and most day-boat tours stop here for lunch. You can also stay a few nights in one of the village's diving guesthouses, which makes it easy to dive the South Pass several times.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Tumakohua Pass (South Pass)
- Les Sables Roses (Pink Sand Beach)
- Hirifa Beach
- Fakarava Pearl Farm
- Rotoava Village
- Topaka Lighthouse
- PK9 Beach
- Garuae Pass (North Pass)