Anchorage· Tahiti Iti (Taiarapu peninsula)· French Polynesia — Society Islands
Taiarapu Ouest ZMR Oututaata (Vairao)
17° 48.5′ S · 149° 17.7′ W
A five-boat regulated anchorage off Vairao on Tahiti Iti's west coast, inside the barrier reef south of Tapuaeraha Bay, with the peninsula's green mountains behind.
Practical
Coordinates: centre of the zone OU-1 to OU-4 (17°48.46'–48.55'S, 149°17.66'–17.76'W, WGS84) in arrêté 41 CM 2024; for vessels under 20 m, limited to 5 boats. Rules (arrêté 41 CM of 15 January 2024): anchoring is banned everywhere in Taiarapu-Ouest waters outside the listed zones, and always in marked channels and passes. Boats of 7.5 m or less staying 24 h or less are exempt from the zone requirement. Maximum 48 h in the same zone; you need authorization from the maritime authority or zone manager, and a fee is payable. Where referenced moorings are installed, anchoring on your own gear is forbidden. Show anchor lights from sunset to sunrise and keep AIS on if you carry it. 5 kn inside zones. No scuba, towed sports or windsurfing; swim and snorkel only right beside your boat. No grey/black-water discharge (MARPOL Annex IV), no hull work, antifouling or noisy work. Book the overnight slot (4pm–9am) on escales.gov.pf, or email escales.dpam@administration.gov.pf or call DPAM 40 54 45 78 (24/7); Taiarapu Ouest was in the 2026 ESCALES pilot, with fees announced from 2026.
Best for
Overnight on Tahiti Iti, close to Teahupo'o
Season
Year-round; trade-wind lee
Nearby
- Récif Toaroa Day Anchorage (Vairao)0.6 NM away
- The Vavi Reef Walls (Vairao, Tahiti Iti)1.2 NM away
- Plage de Maui (Tapu'e Maui), Toahotu1.4 NM away
- Tapuaeraha Bay Large-Yacht Anchorage (Vairao)1.4 NM away
- Ahuatoa Sandbank Day Anchorage (Teahupo'o)2.4 NM away
- Taiarapu Ouest ZMR Haitama (Toahotu)2.4 NM away
- Taravao Plateau Viewpoint3.6 NM away
- Teahupo'o Wave & Village4 NM away