TOUR OF THE ISLAND

The visit of the island starts with Fare, the main village of Huahine. Dominated by Mount Turi (669 m), this village offers nothing special to visit. One is especially seduced by the peaceful atmosphere that reigns there. Fishermen and surfers regularly visit the Avamoa Pass, which provides fish and waves. At the end of the afternoon, we advise you to stroll on the quay, there is always something interesting to see. The caravans settle down and allow you to dine in a relaxed atmosphere at low prices.

The north of the island is a motu connected to the mainland, forming, instead of a lagoon, a lake: the Fauna Nui. On this motu, as well as around the village of Maeva, a succession of beaches as virgin as they are deserted. The sand is white and the waves crash on the reef. This motu is criss-crossed by dirt tracks and coral soup along which farmers grow watermelons and melons. At the end, near the former Sofitel Heiva, lies the village of Maeva, a former ceremonial center composed of several maraes, which has since been converted into a tourist site. A marae, more imposing than that of Maeva, but not maintained, is visible on the paths of the motu of the airport.

The interior of the island is a jungle to visit absolutely. A few roads pass through it, but few hiking trails (an obvious potential, little developed at the moment). The ascent of Mount Turi (669 m), the highest point of the big island, offers a magnificent panorama of Huahine Iti. The simplest way, however, is to take the ferry routes that link Fitii to the Bay of Maroe and Faie to the Bay of Maroe. They go along the taro plantations, the vanilla plantations and cross villages seemingly petrified by time.

In Faie, we recommend stopping at the stone bridge to observe the famous sacred eels by ear; shortly afterwards, if you continue the loop towards Maroe, you reach a belvedere (on the right of the road, starting the descent), from where there is a spectacular view of the bay, Huahine Iti and the ocean in the distance. Don't hesitate to walk a little bit on the way down: a perhaps even more complete view awaits you.

The bay of Maroe is known to be full of fish, and coral soup, the material from which the roads are made, is also extracted there. Earthworks are visible from the bridge that connects the two islands. The bay is however little inhabited, since only the village of Maroe is located there. It is symbolically rich in symbols with the mountainous silhouette of Hiro's big paddle, as well as his sex ("Huahine's willy", as sung by some locals), a rocky outgrowth rising up to the east of the bay.

Cross the bridge to reach Huahine Iti. Smaller, this part of Huahine is all the more beautiful. On the east coast, the village of Tefarerii exudes nostalgia for past glories. It was chosen as a royal residence by the Pomaré family. Its inhabitants now live by growing watermelons and melons on the neighbouring motus. The south of the island, near Parea, has the most beautiful white sand beach and a magnificent lagoon. The marae Anini, built towards the Tiva point, looks towards the Araara pass, which is a joy for surfers when the swell is low. To finish the tour of Huahine Iti, the road follows the deep bay of Haapu, whose wild charm has seduced many visitors.