Teraina

Teraina, once called Washington Island, is a low coral island in the northern Line Islands with something coral islands almost never have: a genuine freshwater lake, filled by rainfall on an island wet enough to sustain it, surrounded by peat swamp and dense coconut. Around a thousand people live there. Ships call rarely and there is no airstrip in regular use. The lake is fed entirely by rainfall sitting on a freshwater lens above the salt water below it.

What you actually see

• The freshwater lake - a body of fresh water rare on a coral island.
• The peat swamp - the wetland around the lake.
• The coconut - the dense growth covering the island.
• The isolation - an island reached only by irregular ship.

When to go

Rain falls through the year on Teraina, which is what fills the lake. Ships call very irregularly. There is no reliable season for access.

Honest expectations

There is no regular air service and ships call rarely; visits mean weeks or months. There is no accommodation beyond community arrangements. Supplies must be carried entirely.

Nearby

Tabuaeran is southeast, and Kiritimati is far southeast.