Landmark· Takapoto· French Polynesia: Tuamotus, Marquesas, Gambier & Australs
Takapoto Atoll (no pass)
14° 42.3′ S · 145° 15.0′ W
Takaroa's closed-lagoon neighbour 10 km to the SW: no pass at all, a very salty plankton-rich lagoon, and the village of Fakatopatere at the southern end.
Practical
Position is the OpenStreetMap node for Fakatopatere village. The government atoll sheet (July 2024) lists the pass as 'closed', and French Wikipedia notes only a very shallow channel on the east side, so yachts cannot enter the lagoon; landing would require an open-ocean anchorage in settled conditions, for which our sources give no position. Ashore (2024): 6 shops, 1 snack, a post office (OPT, 7:30 am-12 pm and 12:30-3 pm Mon/Wed/Thu, 7:30-11:30 am Tue/Fri), no ATM yet (requested), a nurse and a drinking-water fountain. History: Jacob Le Maire sighted it in 1616, and Roggeveen's ship Afrikaansche Galey was wrecked nearby and abandoned in 1722.
Best for
Sighting from the deck en route to Takaroa
Nearby
- Fakatopatere Infirmary (Takapoto)Right here
- Fakatopatere Magasins (Takapoto)Right here
- Fakatopatere Snack (Takapoto)Right here
- Takapoto Mairie Annexe and Landing Caveats (Fakatopatere)Right here
- Fakatopatere Ocean Landing (Takapoto)0.2 NM away
- Takapoto Supply-Ship Day (Fakatopatere)0.2 NM away
- Takapoto Airport (TKP)0.3 NM away
- Robert and Maina's South Anchorage (Takaroa)17.7 NM away