Anaa

Anaa lies in the western Tuamotu and is known for an effect its people call the mata pupura: the shallow lagoon over pale sand reflects a green light onto the underside of the clouds above it, which can be seen from a long way out and was used by navigators to find the atoll. It has no pass, so the lagoon is enclosed. Anaa was a powerful atoll in pre-contact times and its warriors raided widely across the archipelago.

Background

Anaa is an oval atoll in the north-west of the Tuamotu archipelago, 29.5 kilometres long and 6.5 kilometres wide. Its 38 square kilometres of land are spread over eleven islets, whose soil is deeper and more fertile than on other Tuamotu atolls. The shallow lagoon is made up of three main basins and is renewed through small channels that can be crossed on foot. Around 1850 the atoll traded in nacre and copra and held up to 2,000 people. After the hurricane of 1983 the village was moved and rebuilt with a shelter for the whole population. In 2022 Anaa had 530 residents, who earn their living mainly from fishing, copra and mother-of-pearl farming.

Source: Wikipedia, "Anaa"

What's there

• The green cloud light - the lagoon's reflection thrown onto the clouds above.
• The enclosed lagoon - a lagoon with no pass to the open sea.
• The bonefishing - the flats the atoll has become known for among anglers.
• The village - Tukuhora on the northern rim.

When to go

May to October is the dry season. The cloud effect is clearest in settled weather. Flights are infrequent.

What to expect

Flights are few and connections are awkward. Accommodation is limited to a couple of pensions. The lagoon has no pass, which limits diving.

Nearby

Tahiti is west, and Fakarava is northeast.

Key facts