Makatea, a Tuamotu Island popular with sailors, is well worth a visit. Until September 2025, only three aging mooring buoys were available on the northwest coast of the island, near the port of Temao. Five new swing moorings are due to be installed.
The Untamed Beauty of Makatea: Polynesia’s Hidden Gem
The unique Tuamotu Island of Makatea has no air service and can only be reached by boat. One of a kind, this raised atoll has no lagoon, and its steep drop-offs descend rapidly to a dizzying depth of 100 meters (109 yards), making anchoring impossible.
To anchor, you must use one of the three buoys located on the northwest coast at Temao dock, accessible only by dinghy. Often in use—charters sail from Tahiti to Makatea—and aging, these mooring buoys are in the process of being replaced by five new swing moorings.
The Polynesian government through the Ministry of Major Works, Equipment, Maritime and Land Transport and Decentralization has confirmed that in all “Over a kilometer (just over half a mile) of chains, along with five concrete ballasts weighing three tons each, will be installed.”
According to the ministry, “This project aims to improve safety and visitor reception while preserving the seabed and should be completed by October 2025, weather and ocean conditions permitting. This initiative represents an overall investment of around sixty million XPF, entirely covered by national funding.”
Makatea’s appeal extends beyond its new anchorages to its rich history. Once mined for phosphate, the island is dotted with the remnants of a bygone industrial era – rusting locomotives, abandoned railways, factories and houses swallowed by greenery.
The island now attracts visitors for its natural beauty as well—freshwater caves, cliffs suitable for all levels of climbers supporting the local economy, and sometimes even the haunting songs of whales from your secure anchorage.
