Beach· Raroia· French Polynesia: Tuamotus, Marquesas, Gambier & Australs
Kon-Tiki Landing Beach (Raroia)
16° 3.9′ S · 142° 21.6′ W · approximate
The lagoon-side beach of the small motu on Raroia's eastern reef where Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-Tiki raft was wrecked and beached on August 7, 1947, after 101 days from Peru. Today it is the classic spot for a cruisers' beach barbecue.
Practical
Approximate: placed on the lagoon shore between Soggy Paws' anchorage waypoint off the motu (16°03.85S / 142°21.68W, 35 ft sand) and the monument inland (16°03.87S / 142°21.546W). The raft struck the outer reef ('purported location of Kon-Tiki on the reef', 16°03.87S / 142°21.56W) and was beached on an uninhabited islet; villagers arrived by canoe after seeing flotsam, and the crew were later taken to Tahiti by the schooner Tamara (English Wikipedia). Land the dinghy on the lagoon side; the small monument is a short walk inland. Jacaranda (2016) calls it a favorite spot for beach barbecues. Kite launching is a little south (see Raroia Kite Beach). Remove all trash and put fires out.
Best for
History, a monument and a beach barbecue
Nearby
- Kon-Tiki Anchorage (Raroia)0.1 NM away
- Kon-Tiki Motu and Monument (Raroia)0.1 NM away
- Raroia Coral Garden Snorkel (near Kon-Tiki Motu)0.1 NM away
- Raroia Kite Beach (south of Kon-Tiki Motu)0.1 NM away
- Raroia Lagoon Sharks, Rays and Octopus0.2 NM away
- Three Palm Island Anchorage (Raroia)0.4 NM away
- Raroia Pearl Farm1.2 NM away
- Southeast Lagoon Anchorages (Raroia)2.6 NM away