As I travel the world I take many photos that pique my interest. During the year April 2025 to March 2026 our travels included visits to many islands large and small. My theme for 2026 Island Hopping will give precedence to Islands visited in the past year but for those difficult letters like X and Z I will dig into my photo archives for content.
First stop on our cross Pacific adventure was Rangiroa, a typical tropical oasis, with white sandy palm-fringed beaches and crystal clear water.
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| Our Destination |
"Rangiroa (
Tuamotuan for 'vast sky') or Te Kokōta (
Cook Islands Māori for 'the
Hyades star cluster') is the largest atoll in the
Tuamotus and one of the largest in the world (smaller than
Kwajalein in the
Marshall Islands and
Huvadhu in the
Maldives).
It is in
French Polynesia and is part of the
Palliser group. The nearest atoll is
Tikehau, 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) to the west. It is about 355 km (221 mi) northeast of
Tahiti. Rangiroa is home to about 2,500 people on almost 80 km2 (31 sq mi). The chief town is
Avatoru, in the atoll's northwest."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangiroa
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| Zodiac approach to Rangiroa |
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We shared our jetty with an Oceania ship. I would rather
have used their tender than our Zodiac. |
The sightseeing we did on this island from from a kayak. I was very nervous about getting in and out of the kayak but, with the assistance of our guides, made quite dignified moves. I was pleased that I had not forgotten how to paddle and wasn't too big a burden on my co-kayaker, Robert.
We followed our guides in a pleasant paddle along the coast enjoying the calm conditions and light breeze. We clearly saw several sea creatures including some reef sharks thanks to the clarity of the water.
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| We shared the water with several other craft |
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| Smooth takeoff |
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| Following the leaders |
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| As well as a guide in a kayak this chap was on hand in the Zodiac for extra support |
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| Fellow kayakers snapped us |
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Approaching the town in our Zodiac
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Although the population of the island is around 800 1 saw, on our visit on a Sunday morning very few of them. Apart from the half dozen stallholders and musicians in the town square I counted three joggers, two working at the dome and another three people driving vehicles.
After a zodiac landing at an impressive wharf in San Juan Battista in Cumberland Bay we were taken on a short orientation tour by one of the ship's guides. Just a couple of hundred metres along the coast we stopped to observe the local Juan Fernández sea lions cavorting.
Close behind the seals were some cliffs that had been damaged by fire from the German ship,
SS Dresden during World War I. The ship was eventually scuttled there and its wreckage lies in Cumberland Harbour.
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| The interpretive sign telling the Dresden's story could do with some TLC |
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| Looking back across the bay from the Dresden sign |
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| We then paid a visit to the cemetery |
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| A Memorial in the Cemetery |
Our Guide offered the fitter souls in our group an opportunity to hike up to a viewpoint. I declined and wandered around by myself while Robert joined the hikers. Their goal was the Fuerte Santa Bárbara, an historic 1749 Spanish stone fortification.
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| Beginning of the trail |
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| One of the caves the hikers visited had a link to Alexander Selkirk |
Heading back to the town I couldn't miss the Robinson Statue which was sited next to the civic square.
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| The Juan Fernández flag flying in the Civic Square |
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| The Mural tells of life on the Island |
On the side of the road I came across a plant that is endemic to the area,
Sonchus brassicifolius the Juan Fernández cabbage tree.
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| Juan Fernández cabbage tree. |
The buildings around the harbour and up the steep slopes were mostly made of timber and generally in good condition.
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| Diving is popular with tourists with the Dresden wreck a favoured site |
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| Escape Route |
There were people working in and around a geodesic dome. I was unable to determine the purpose of this structure but from the signage it appeared to have a connection the the government.
As well as the many boats bobbing around in the harbour there were quite a few parked randomly through the town.
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| A final view of the Island as we departed |
