CC BY 2.0, DANIEL JULIE (Wikimedia Commons)Anchorage· Huahine Iti· French Polynesia — Society Islands
ZMR d'Avea Sud (Huahine)
16° 48.8′ S · 150° 59.8′ W
Huahine's favourite cruiser anchorage: a 10-boat zone on sand in Avea Bay, off a long white beach, with Huahine Iti's peaks behind and the south pass motu within dinghy range.
Practical
Coordinate is the centre of the ZMR polygon whose corners are published in arrêté 912 CM (WGS84). Corners: 16°48.70'S 151°00.02'W to 16°48.81'S 150°59.766'W. Quota 10 boats, 48 h maximum. Sandy bottom (Noonsite: 'vaste mouillage sur fond de sable, sans patates'). Same shore services as Avea Nord: Le Mahana pontoon, water by hose at 2,000 XPF per fill (2025), laundry, rubbish, Thursday dinner and dance show, Chez Tara on Sundays (book on +689 40 68 78 45). Snorkel by dinghy towards the south-pass motu. Walk to Marae Anini, or take the 45-minute return hike into the hills. Deep-sea fishing with Huahine Secret Tour. Theft has been reported here (a 2018 Noonsite report: a swimmer boarded an unlocked boat while the crew were ashore). Lock the companionway and leave deck lights on at night. Rules for every small-boat ZMR (arrêté 912 CM, 26 June 2025): boats under 20 m only; authorization from DPAM required via escales.gov.pf (or escales.dpam@administration.gov.pf, DPAM 24/7 +689 40 54 45 78). Night reservations (4pm to 9am) are mandatory; boats under 20 m may use free spots 9am to 4pm within the quota. The 2025 brief says booking is free for now but fees will be charged from 2026, so check the current rate on escales.gov.pf. Anchor positions are indicative until secured moorings are laid (planned for 2026). Once moorings are in, anchoring is forbidden. Inside the zone: 5-knot limit, no sailing, no scuba, jet-skis or windsurfing; swim and snorkel only right beside your own boat; show anchor lights; keep AIS on; no black-water discharge, no hull work or engine testing, no underwater lights. Grey-water tanks are compulsory in the lagoon. If you leave the boat, name someone who can move it within 6 hours. DPAM 'ambassadors' may visit to check quotas.
Best for
The classic Huahine beach anchorage
Season
Best in the May–Oct trades
