PRONOUNCED:FAH-KAH-RAH-VAH
Fakarava is a very large, rectangular atoll in the Tuamotu Group of French Polynesia. Atolls are the most common island formation in the Tuamotus. They are the remnants of volcanic islands that once existed in these locations. The islands, over time, formed coral reefs around their outer margins, in the way that many existing islands do today. After long periods of time, the islands themselves sank below the surface of the ocean and all that remains now is the fringing reef.
Fakarava is a beautiful island with long sandy beaches and a stunning lagoon. Due to the protected waters of the lagoon, Fakarava has a great deal of pearl farming. The small main town at the northeast side of the atoll is called Rotoava and its population is just under 400 inhabitants. The people of Fakarava farm coconuts for copra on shore and pearls in the lagoons. They also host the travelers who flock here to bask on the beaches and snorkel or dive in the luxuriant coral gardens along the shore. At the long spit of Les Sables Roses, the pink blush of the sand reveals its coral origin. The sleepy towns of Rotoava and Tetamanu offer scant attractions for visitors, except for their distinctive rock lighthouses shaped like stepped pyramids. Tetamanu does boast a 19th Century church built of coral rock by missionaries, and an adjoining cemetery with coral rock headstones. Aside from snorkeling or beach-basking, some visitors enjoy a visit to a lagoon pearl farm, to see how the large, flat bivalves are coaxed into creating the treasured gems formed by the lustrous nacre inside their shells.