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Air Tahiti Magazine 57
destination coup d oeil sur huahine huahine se situe a 170 kilometres au nord-ouest de tahiti et comme ses soeurs raiatea, tahaa, bora bora et maupiti, elle appartient a l archipel des «raromatai», qui signifie, en tahitien, «sous le vent». les fouilles archeologiques, menees dans les annees 1960 par le professeur japonais sinoto, ont mis a jour les celebres marae du district de maeva. ces fouilles demontrerent que ces etablissements pre-europeens etaient parmi les plus anciens des iles de la societe. huahine aurait ainsi ete habitee par les polynesiens des les environs de l an 850. le premier europeen a avoir visiter l ile est le capitaine cook, en 1769. d une superficie d environ 75 km2, huahine se compose de deux iles, huahine nui au nord et huahine iti au sud, reliees par un pont surplombant le lagon. le point culminant, au nord de l ile, est le mont turi, haut de 669 metres. environ 6 000 habitants vivent sur cette ile luxuriante, dont le principal district est fare, au nord-ouest. petite bourgade animee, fare dispose de tous les commerces, banques, roulottes, cybercafes et autres petits magasins de souvenirs le tourisme, la peche, le coprah mais surtout l agriculture (plantations de pasteques et melons sur les motu, mais egalement vanille, pamplemousse, taro, etc.), font vivre tout ce petit monde. cette ile sauvage et tres authentique degage une certaine magie qui envoute le visiteur par le cote confidentiel qu elle inspire. magnifiques plages de sable blanc dans les districts de fare et de parea, excellentes possibilites de plongee sous-marine, un des plus vastes ensembles de sites archeologiques de polynesie a maeva, kite surf, cheval, marche a pieds, les loisirs ne manquent pas a huahine, faisant de cette ile un concentre d activites maritimes et terrestres, dans un environnement naturel de toute beaute. huahine at a glance huahine is situated about 170 kilometers to the northwest of tahiti. along with its sister-islands raiatea,tahaa, bora bora and maupiti, huahine belongs to the archipelago of raraomatai , which in tahitian means leeward islands. archeological excavations that began in the 1960s led by the japanese professor sinoto brought to light new information about the district of maeva and the renowned marae (ancient polynesian temples) there.the archeological studies by sinoto demonstrated that the pre-european formations in maeva are among the earliest in all of the society islands.the polynesians are estimated to have arrived to huahine about the year 850 ad, whereas the first european explorer to visit the island was captain cook, in the year of 1769. with a surface area of about 75km2, huahine is made up of two separate islands, huahine nui to the north, and huahine iti to the south.the two islands are connected by way of a bridge above the lagoon.the highest point lies to the north of the island at mount turi with its 669 meters. all in all there are approximately 6000 residents on this luscious island, most of them located in the district of fare, to the northwest. fare a delightfully animated community is the town-center with its various small businesses, banks,tahitian-style roulottes (little, mobile restaurants and cafes), internet cafes and little souvenir shops. the main source of income in huahine is agriculture (melon and water-melon plantations on the motu, but also vanilla, grapefruit, taro and other fruits and vegetables), however tourism, fishing, and coprah (a coconut product) are also important to keep this microcosm going. this pristine and well-preserved island has an enchanting air of charm and mystery that spellbinds its visitors in the blink of an eye. huahine offers boundless opportunities for leisure, and whether you choose activities in the ocean or on land you are always surrounded by stunning landscapes; dazzling white sand beaches in the areas of fare and parea, excellent opportunities for unforgettable scuba diving, one of the largest collections of archeological sites in all of polynesia at maeva, kitesurfing, horseback riding and hiking are just a few of the activities you can participate in on this magic island. 16 r e v u e d e b o r d n ° 5 7 / a i r ta h i t i / o n - b o a r d m a g a z i n e n ° 5 7
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