Huahine POP 5741 Why Go? Sights ..............................99 Huahine is actually two islands. Huahine Nui (Big Huahi- Activities ........................101 ne), to the north, is home to the bustling little village of Fare Tours ............................. 104 and most of the main tourist and administrative facilities. Sleeping ........................ 104 Rugged and isolated Huahine Iti (Little Huahine), to the south, off ers the islands’ best beaches, azure lagoons and a Eating & Drinking...........107 serene, get-away-from-it-all atmosphere. Information ................... 108 Huahine is immaculately tropical and eff ortlessly Poly- Getting There & Away ... 108 nesian. Lush and scarcely developed, this is an island to visit Getting Around ............. 109 for extreme calm, communing with nature and a genuine taste of culture. You’ll fi nd one of the largest and best- maintained marae (traditional temple) complexes in the Best Places to country and a few empty beaches, but if you’re looking for a party, head elsewhere. It’s a fantastic choice for families Stay or honeymooners looking for quiet, romantic evenings. The » Maitai Lapita Village aim of the game on Huahine is to relax – but visitors who (p 104 ) move deeper into the island will fi nd opportunities for diving, » Au Motu Mahare (p 106 ) surfi ng, snorkelling and horse riding. » Rande’s Shack (p 105 ) » Fare Ie Fare (p 105 ) When to Go July through to September is the dry and sunny high season – Best Places to Eat perfect for outdoor activities, especially hiking. In July the » Chez Tara (p 108 ) Heiva cultural festival (see p 231 ) is a prime time to be on » New Te Marara (p 107 ) the island for some spontaneous fun. May, June, October and November are good shoulder-season months for decent » Mauarii (p 108 ) weather. French Polynesia’s biggest sporting event, Hawaiki Nui canoe race (p 230 ), starts on Huahine in early November. Diving and surfi ng are popular year-round. 99 History Europeans fi rst arrived here in 1769, when 0 4 km James Cook and company landed on Hua- 0 2 miles hine’s shores. Polynesians inhabited the island for thousands of years before the Lakeὅὅ popaa (Europeans) arrived: archaeological Fauna Motu excavations to the north of Fare reveal some NuiὅὅOvarei of the earliest traces of settlement in the Maeva Society Islands. Despite a hostile receptionὄὄὄὄ Fare La Cité de from the native inhabitants, Cook returned Mt Turi Mt Avapeihi Tapu Corail to Huahine twice, in 1774 and 1777. In 1808 a (Fitii) Pass (669m) group of London Missionary Society (LMS) H u a h i n e N u i missionaries moved to Huahine to escape Fitiii Faie the turmoil on Tahiti. They remained for Mt Paeo only a year but returned in 1818 to further (440m) ὄὄὄὄ Maroe the spread of Christianity in the region. Bay Huahine supported the Pomare royal family in the struggle against the French, and there Bourayne Maroe HUAHINE Bay Tefarerii were a number of clashes between 1846 and 409m 1888, before French rule was eventually ac- Hana Iti H u a h i n e Beach I t i Mt Pohue Rahi cepted. Although the French kicked the Eng- Haapu (462m) SIGHTS lish Protestant missionaries out, the islandὄὄὄ remains predominantly Protestant. Chez Parea Tara Avea 1Sights Bay HUAHINE NUI The following 60km circuit of the largerὄὄὄ island starts in Fare and goes around the island in a clockwise direction. Fare TOWN, BEACH Huahine Highlights A visit to tiny Fare almost feels like stepping back in time, so perfectly does it capture the 1 Snorkelling over colourful fi sh and image of a sleepy South Seas port. There’s coral at La Cité de Corail (p 101 ) not a lot to do, but that’s part of Fare’s ap- 2 Taking the uphill marae walk at peal. Check out the colourful little waterside Maeva (p 100 ) market and the few creative boutiques, sign 3 Hiking Mt Tapu (p 104 ) for panoramic up for a dive or hire a ramshackle bicycle views over the island and lagoon and just pedal around a bit. 4 Diving in the Avapeihi (Fitii) You’ll fi nd a good stretch of coral sand Pass (p 101 ) on the northern outskirts of town beach 5 Feasting on Tahitian specialities at (follow the coastline from New Te Marara Chez Tara (p 108 ) restaurant). It’s great for sunbathing and swimming, and off ers excellent sunset 6 Horse riding (p 104 ) around Lake Fauna Nui vistas. The wide, super-clear lagoon here drops off quickly, providing some truly 7 Hiring a dinghy and fi nding your own great snorkelling amid stunning coral and slice of paradise at Hana Iti Beach (p 101 ) dense fi sh populations. Fare looks out over Haamene Bay, which has two passes to the sea: the northern Ava- from the sea. The land to the north of this is moa Pass is the main entry point for inter- known as Motu Ovarei. island shipping, while the Avapeihi Pass About 2km north of Fare the main sealed (Fitii Pass) to the south is a great diving site. road runs along the inland side of Lake Fauna Nui. It’s also possible to turn off to the air- Lake Fauna Nui LAKE port and take the road on the ocean side of The shallow expanse of Lake Fauna Nui (also the lake and then return to the main part known as Lake Maeva) is in fact an inlet of the island by the bridge at Maeva village..