Maroe Bay, on the southern end of the French Polynesian island of Huahine-Iti, is an idyllic place for snorkeling, sailing, beachcombing, biking and swimming with friendly sharks.    

Huahine Iti is the smaller of two islands that make up Huahine atoll, encircled by a fringing coral reef in the Society Islands. It is unspoiled and pristine, drop-dead gorgeous and full of interesting things to explore. Aside from the shining white beaches, vivid green forests and candy-blue waters, the island’s Fa’Una Nui area is festooned with archaeological ruins of maraes and ancient stone fish traps.

There is a small museum displaying artifacts found amid the ruins. The main tourist attraction on Huahine is a bridge over a stream where sacred, yard-long eels bask in the clear running water, waiting for you to feed them. If you aren’t an eel-type person, maybe visit a vanilla-orchid farm, or find a shop and feast your eyes on brilliantly colored pareus or dusky South Pacific pearls.

Your photo reporter, Tatjana Vleeshouwers, visited this place on February 9, 2023