Rangiroa, the best island in French Polynesia to dive

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Rangiroa Island in French Polynesia

To say that a place is the most beautiful in the world is usually too daring, since it depends a little on the tastes of each person.

But we are clear that everyone who has been lucky enough to visit French Polynesia It places it very high on its list of visited paradises.

We are talking about the favorite island of the Polynesians, an island that has a special magic, Rangiroa.

Beach on the island of Rangiroa in French Polynesia

There are not many virgin paradises left in the world with palm trees, crystal clear waters and coral reefs flooded with marine fauna such as Rangiroa atoll, one of the world diving mecca.

There are many lovers of this island diving in search of some of the most shocking experiences, such as seeing hammerhead sharks or diving with dolphins that approach to caress them.

But the fascinating thing about this island is that it is not necessary to be a diver to see hundreds of different species of fish of all colors among coral forests.

You just need to take the swimsuit and some diving goggles and jump into the water to enjoy this authentic marine paradise.

Here we leave theRangiroa's video what we did on our visit, where you can see in images part of the content of this article.

Where it is and how Rangiroa was formed

At Tuamotu archipelago, the largest of the five that make up the French Polynesia, it's found Rangiroa, just one hour flight from Tahiti.

To understand well why Rangiroa It is so unique and special, you have to understand how it was formed.

The tuamotuthey are mostly coral atolls that arise from the sinking of a volcano in the sea.

It arose when the ancient volcano that gave rise to the island died, and as a result the island began to sink until the caldera was submerged, which was where lava flowed.

Coral on the island of Rangiroa in French Polynesia

In this way an outer ring that protrudes from the sea is formed, it is a circle that forms an inner sea surrounded by ocean.

Lava is one of the best natural fertilizers that exists and makes the waters rich in iron, which favors the formation of marine life and Coral reefs.

It is a process of millions of years that, together with its isolation in the middle of South Pacific Ocean which prevents it from suffering a massive fishing, makes it a unique island due to the state of conservation of its waters.

As if that were not enough, when the coral dies, the remains reach the shore and the erosion of the sea crushes it and turns into white sand.

It is only necessary to grab a handful of sand from the beach to see, that everything is coral and seashells, home of hermit crabs.

Rangiroa

How to get to Rangiroa

The best way to get to Rangiroa it's by plane from the Papeete airport in Tahiti, although it is true that there are other islands that also have connection.

Being small islands, the plane is almost a bus service; In fact, we left from Tahiti to Rangiroa, but it was not the final destination of the flight, but after leaving our bags and picking up new passengers he continued traveling to another island.

I would not be surprised if he made a circular route with final destination again in Tahiti.

As far as we know there are several flights the same day, or at least the day of our flight there was one before ours, but it is true that from what we have looked, it varies a bit depending on the season.

He flight price from Tahiti airport to Rangiroa It is a little less than 200 euros and is always done with the company Tahiti Air , which is the only one that operates between Polynesian Islands.

They are small airplanes of about 60 passengers and the journey lasts about an hour of flight, time that actually passes very fast since after leaving from Tahiti, you see a lot of beautiful atolls through the window of the plane.

The seats are not numbered, so you choose it when entering the plane, and if you have the opportunity, sit by the window, but consider one thing.

çIf you fly from Tahiti to Rangiroa from the right side of the plane you will see the island of Tahiti, but Rangiroa looks worse when you arrive, and on the contrary when you return.

If you want more information, here are some articles withtips for traveling to French Polynesia, as well as which islands to visit in French Polynesia, like the Moorea, and do not miss the video that we have included in the article.

Diving Rangiroa

What activities to do in Rangiroa

Rangiroa It became world famous because a family of dolphins settled in the Tiputa Pass, which is one of the two entrances from the sea into the atoll.

Is a island famous for diving, whether you are a diver or not, it is the place to enjoy the sea and the marine fauna.

How to dive in Rangiroa

We must recognize that in our case we had never dived, but being in Rangiroa We thought it was the best place to do a baptism, to feel the experience of diving.

Most of the divers who go to the island are divers with an advanced level who dedicate the whole day to diving, getting to do three daily dives.

Once we made our first dive, we fully understood the reason for that addiction.

In Rangiroa can be done different types of dives depending on the diving levels.

So you have from a shallow water area, which is a marine reserve for the most novice, to more complex areas, even with current diving for the most expert.

Most dives are made in the Tiputa Pass, what is a area very rich in marine fauna all types.

For those of you interested in knowing more in depthwhat it is like to dive in Rangiroa Here you have a more specific video of the species and types of animals that can be seen. 

There are several companies that do dives in this area but the most important and with which we did it is TopDive.

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Are you organizing your trip to French Polynesia? Don't go without hire your travel insurance first, and here we explain why. If you hire him with us, you have a 5% discount.

Snorkeling in Rangiroa

If you have never dived and do not want to try it, you always have the option to do snorkel since there are plenty of fish on any beach and you just need to put on your diving goggles and swimsuit.

It is even possible to do snorkel in the area of ​​the marine reserve where baptisms are made, since it is an area with shallow depth.

Although it is true that it is not the same to see the sea from the bottom than from above, there are so many schools of fish throughout the reserve that you enjoy the same way doing snorkel than diving.

Excursion in Rangiroa in French Polynesa

Excursion to a virgin island in Rangiroa

In addition to snorkel or snorkel, in Rangiroa There are other interesting activities you can do, such as a full day excursion that is a unique experience.

We say unique because it is only possible to do it with the local company Pa'ati Excursions managed byLion, an authentic Polynesian whose family owns a small island south of the atoll.

They pick you up by car at your hotel and, after an hour by boat, you arrive at the other end of the atoll, to an area of ​​small islands protected by a volcanic rock barrier.

It is an absolutely virgin area where no one lives.

It is an amazing island to do snorkel because of the transparency of the water, since there are several areas of just one meter deep and visibility of several tens of meters.

Rangiroa Island in French Polynesia

After spending the day in several natural pools formed between the volcanic rocks and before leaving the island, a barbecue is eaten next to an area full of blackfin sharks that you can get to touch them.

But the excursion does not end there, because when you return you stop in two places.

The first stop is at the Tiputa Pass for watch the dolphins jump at a very short distance; It is impressive since they are especially large dolphins jumping in groups, so in a space of 10 minutes you see dozens of jumps.

And before the end of the day a stop is made in the marine reserve to make snorkeling between schools of fish.

The tour ends when the guide Lion take the guitar and sing Polynesian songs with the sunset in the background, a perfect ending to a perfect day.

Tattoo shop in Rangiroa in French Polynesia

How the Black Pearl is produced in Rangiroa

The black pearl that gave name to the famous ship of the movie Pirates of the Caribbean occurs in a pearl farm in Rangiroa.

And is that pearls today and for little more than 30 years, are manufactured in a handmade way; is what is known as cultural pearl.

It is a technique that was invented in Japan where it was discovered that when an oyster feels that there is something in its appendix, it naturally produces a substance called pearl mother, which is what ends up forming this much desired jewel.

This natural process has been reproduced in pearl farms where producing a round and flawless pearl is an art, and the black pearl It has become so famous for its quality, which is the second source of income for French Polynesia after tourism

It is possible to make a guided visit where they explain all the black pearls manufacturing process, and how they are cataloged according to categories, which are the ones that set the final price.

Rangiroa

They are called black pearl because the variety of oysters in that area has black lips, just as in Japan the white pearl is the type of pearl with white lip

Although they are known as black pearlIn fact, its color is not pure black, but it has gray, green and pink tones, since it takes not only the color of the oyster's lip, but also the colors of the shell.

To produce it, a small pearl of the mussel from the Mississipi River next to a piece of the oyster's own lip in an appendix that has the oyster.

From there the oyster itself generates pearl mother wrapping the ball and creating a pearl

It is a manufacturing process that lasts about two years until the final pearl is achieved, period in which every three months they are removed from the sea, cleaned and it is seen that it is doing well.

Beach on the island of Rangiroa in French Polynesia

Depending on the time of the year you visit Rangiroa you will see a stage or others of the manufacture.

In our case we went when they were creating the grafts for the new oysters, but at other times you can see how they are extracted once the oyster has already made the pearl.

Sunset at the dolphin viewpoint

Next to Tiputa Passbut from the ground, there are two lookouts in which people enjoy the sunset having a drink and watching dolphins jump.

The best without a doubt is the terrace of hotel Le Relais des Josephine, which is actually a small family-run wooden cabin hotel that has a terrace above the water.

It is not necessary to be hosted, the terrace is open for any visitor; even if you notify in the morning, you can have dinner there, since at night you can see blackfin sharks on the banks of the terrace.

Sunrise in Rangiroa in French Polynesia

The other viewpoint is very close, right at the entrance of the hotel.

The Polynesians go there a lot with the car and the coolers full of beer to spend hours watching this show unique in the world.

Rangiroa bike ride

A normal day on this island usually includes excursions or diving in the morning and noon, and in the afternoon they are usually booked to enjoy the island and the tranquility of feeling in paradise.

That is why it is the best time to take a bicycle and tour part of the island.

Rangiroa Island in French Polynesia

Bicycles are usually available at hotels at no cost, and being a completely flat island, without any slope, you can take a tour seeing their homes knowing the way of life on the island.

You can stop along the beaches and see the hermit crabs what's on the island, or visit the resorts what about the characteristicsbungalows on top of the water between palm trees.

A perfect plan to get to know the island calmly and without haste enjoying the life of paradise.

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Video: FRENCH POLYNESIA - RANGIROA Best of 500+ Scuba-Dives (March 2024).