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Tikehau Trade Center

Plizio editorial teamUpdated: Jun 2026Data Sources

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Practical info — Tikehau Trade Center

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🌤 Weather — 5 days

📍 Nearby

Sights nearby

💡 Tips

Tikehau is famous for its fish parks (parcs à poissons); ask a local boatman to show you these traditional lagoon traps.
Flights arrive at the small airstrip near Tuherahera; arrange transport with your pension as taxis aren't readily available.
Watch the local fishermen drying their catch in the sun, a time-honored practice supplying the markets in Papeete.
Bring enough cash, as ATMs are practically non-existent or unreliable on the atoll.

🍽 Food

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Dried Fish (I'a Miti)

Try the locally salted and dried fish, a specialty of Tikehau often eaten with coconut milk.

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Fresh Lagoon Catch

Enjoy parrotfish, tuna, or mahi-mahi caught the same day, served at guesthouses in Tuherahera.

🍽

Coconut Crab (Kaveu)

If available, try this local delicacy, a massive land crab known for its sweet meat.

🛍 Shopping · 🧘 Quiet spots

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Vacuum-Sealed Dried Fish

Buy vacuum-sealed packs of dried fish from the locals to take a piece of Tikehau's heritage home.

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Shell Jewelry

Handmade necklaces and bracelets made from tiny lagoon shells by local women in the main village.

🧘

Tuherahera Village Walk

Stroll through the main village, lined with colorful hibiscus and bougainvillea, for a peaceful glimpse of island life.

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Bird Island (Motu Puarua)

Take a lagoon excursion to this remote motu to observe nesting sea birds in absolute tranquility.

The trade center of Tikehau serves as a lifeline for the remote atoll's population. It is the only place to purchase fuel, which is essential for fishing boats and vehicles. The center also runs a small bakery that produces fresh bread daily using imported flour. Internet connectivity was established in 2018, enabling card payments. The center acts as a collection point for copra and vanilla before shipment. It hosts a weekly farmers' market where locals exchange produce. The building is made of concrete with a corrugated iron roof, designed to withstand cyclones. A satellite dish provides telephone and limited internet. The center's manager is elected by the community and reports to the municipal council. Expansion plans include a new warehouse and a fish market.