The atoll has a small population and an environment that must be respected. Sailboats are limited to 52 yachts/pleasure boats in the atoll distributed in five distinct anchorage areas. See the DPAM link below.
Authorized Anchoring Areas Fakarava - DPAM
In order to protect the lagoon and restrict numbers due to limited supplies available on the atoll, there are plans to establish mooring buoys in the North and South, as well as in Toau, at a cost of 3 000 XPF. Other services will be available for a fee.
Currently all public moorings are free and suitable for vessels up to 30 tons.
Moorings and anchorages listed from north to south.
North Pass (Garuae) anchorages:
Airport anchorages:
Rotoava anchorages (Fakarava Lagoon):
There is a public dock available for loading/unloading and two public moorings (the rest are used by charter companies). If you pick up a charter boat mooring and they come back, they will ask you to move, even if it's night time.
You will need to anchor at least 200m from the shore and be aware of some locally placed buoys on the shore-line. The owner will ask you to move if you anchor anywhere near.
There is also an anchorage with good holding in front of the dive shop (16°03.8S; 145°37.1W), 7m depth with sand bottom and some coral around. Well protected from E and S winds. Check the schedule of local freighters before anchoring here.
Limited potable water is available from the Town Hall (5xpf/litre). Free WIFI is available at the Tourism office on the Rotoava quay. There are now recycling bins available - a fee of 1000xpf per week for waste collection is charged. Pay your fees at the Town Hall on arrival and you must sort your own rubbish.
Petrol and diesel is available from the station in the town and you can take your boat alongside to fill up.
South Pass - Tetamanu anchorages:
There are only three public moorings here. There is one private mooring for the charter catamaran and two other yellow moorings that are for the dive boats . These are the ones that are nearest to the dive shop/hotel .
Hirifa:
If anchoring in Hirifa or the south pass, be careful of the coral and float your anchor chain. You can anchor here and go diving or snorkelling in the south pass. There is a dive boat that will pick you up.
See French Polynesia Yachting Essentials for tips on Navigation and Anchoring in this part of the world.
If there is no space on Fakarava, it is possible to go to the neighbouring atolls of Toau and Kauehi.
There are eight moorings at Anse Amio here in a depth of seven to 15metres to avoid damaging the coral. There is a restaurant and pension run by the islands three residents.
There is a wide pass here that is navigable in all weathers. Reach the village of Tearavero by following the signs There are two anchorage areas in front of the village. Do not anchor in front of the airport and keep your anchor lights on at night for returning fishermen.
Last updated: April 2025
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Through 2022 and 2023 we have visited many places throughout French Polynesia on our travels.
Comments and feedback have been compiled into one report with some brief notes below.
https://www.noonsite.com/report/french-polynesia-cruiser-report-from-maria/
Tuamotus:
July 2022 and December 2022 and March 2023
Fakarava, Rotoava, and Hirifa.
In Rotoava there are only 2 public mooring buoys available the others belong to Top Dive and some of the charter catamarans.
Recycling is now available in Rotoava for hard plastics, glass and cans.
If anchoring in Hirifa or the south pass then take your rubbish with you to the town in the north.
You can anchor in Hirifa and go diving or snorkelling in the south pass there is a dive boat that will pick you up.
Pakokota is closed and the moorings are not in use.
Rumours have been circulating that Fakarava are bringing in mooring buoys with a ban on anchoring in Rotoava. Apparently there is a project in place to add mooring balls in the south pass, Hirifa, at the airport and in Rotoava, it could be many years before this gets implemented.
FYS still have the best laundry service and they also have E bikes and now electric scooters, you need a driving licence to hire these.
October 2019
Fakarava for Noonsite
October 2019
The petrol station is now open and you can take your boat up to the dock – it’s about 4-5 metres deep. There are bommies around but they are deep too.
We got duty free fuel here but the man took our original duty free certificate, something that the customs lady in Papeete told us they shouldn’t do. He insisted though and said that he needed the original or he couldn’t claim back the duty. I think he doesn’t know that it is ok to submit a copy – probably because they have only been open for about a month. It was ok for us because it will have expired by the time we come to fill up again.
When you go to pay your garbage tax at city hall, you don’t need to take any paperwork, just your wallet although we paid for 9 days and it was just short of 2000 francs .
South Pass Fakarava
July 2019
There were 2 white mooring buoys together. We couldn’t see anymore than this. There is also a dive boat mooring buoy further over towards the pass. There is a mooring in the pass but it belongs to a local charter boat.
Fakarava
July 2019
Boulangerie sells petrol for your outboard . Price is 200 francs per litre, diesel is not available in Fakarava ( or so we were told). The bakery also has a place to recycle plastic bottles and cans.
You will need to reserve eggs if you want them! Bread can be gone by lunchtime. Don’t forget to take your beer bottles in for money off your next lot of beer!
The main dinghy dock is right near the petrol station but it doesn’t sell petrol or diesel, apparently they are waiting for Tahiti to give them permission to open. The shop is open and is fully stocked.
You can get potable water ( fill up your cans) if you pay the tax at City Hall, the water tap is only manned between 8-9am and 13-14 or 14-15 pm . You can also put your rubbish at the main dock, there isn’t any recycling although one day there was a bin with plastic bottles in, you are supposed to pay a tax for leaving your rubbish.
The one restaurant is open only on Friday , Saturday and Sunday evening 6-9pm. Good prices and good service.
You can have dinner at the resort but you need to reserve a table the day before.
Fakarava Yacht Services are about a 20 min walk( south)from the town quay, or you can beach the dinghy and then it’s 2 mins. We hired bikes 1000 for 4 hours, we also hired the e-bikes and would definitely get them again 3000 for 4 hours . Much better to use these to go off road and past the airport.
We got our gas filled at Fakarava Yacht Services 1200 for 3KG and our laundry was done at 1000 per load ( wash only) Or wash, dry,fold 2000 per load. It was worth the extra. Especially when you get to Tahiti and you have to pay 900 per load and do it yourself.
There are 3 white mooring buoys. We were on the middle one and we snorkelled on it and it looked in good condition.
The yellow mooring buoy is for the dive boat.
There is a nice family that runs the “Fakarava Yacht Service”. Our engine’s belt fails, so we call them with the sat.phone while we are on our way. We told them the engine model, and 2 days after we arrived and the belt was waiting for us.
Ph : 87 75 34 84 – VHF : 77/16
fakayachtservices@gmail.com