ATIU
Atiu is a small hidden jewel and only for real travelers: it is a “raised” atoll, or rather an island that has been separated from the sea by a few tens of meters. The barrier so close to the island allows
you near such powerful waves that it somehow gets both fascinating and scary at each impact on the reef.
The island is entirely carpeted with vegetation: an entire forest to be discovered freely, which allows you to take walks among ancient trees and fragrant flowers, and then emerge on white
beaches surrounded by what looks like a “stormy sea”.
One of the most fascinating areas is the
Coral Garden: a spectacular and natural swimming pool that is located one meter above the average sea level. The lagoon is kept full by the waves of the storms near Antarctica, which crash on the cliff and fill it.
Sometimes these waves stop and the lagoon empties: all the fish then enter the only
deep point, called the coral garden. If you are lucky and this happens while you are in the area, a
fantastic time will await you for snorkeling: unfortunately when we went the tide was too high and the sea too rough to admire this phenomenon.