Tetiaroa

Tetiaroa is an atoll of a dozen motu around a shallow lagoon about fifty kilometres north of Tahiti, held by the Pomare royal family as a retreat and later bought by Marlon Brando, who filmed nearby in 1960. It is now run as a resort with an ecostation attached that does research on the reef, the seabirds and the atoll's ecology. Bird Island holds large seabird colonies and turtles nest on the beaches.

What you actually see

• The lagoon - a shallow enclosed lagoon between the motu.
• The seabird colonies - the large nesting populations on Bird Island.
• The ecostation - the research facility working on the atoll's ecology.
• The royal and Brando history - the atoll's owners before it became a resort.

When to go

May to October is the dry season. Access is by light aircraft and is controlled. Day trips are limited and the resort is expensive.

Honest expectations

Access is strictly controlled and the resort is among the most expensive in the Pacific. Day trips are limited in number. Parts of the atoll are closed to protect nesting birds.

Nearby

Tahiti is south, and Moorea is southwest.