Tikehau is a coral atoll in the Palliser Islands group, part of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located 340 kilometres (210 miles) northeast of Tahiti in the Tuamotu Islands. The atoll's oval-shaped lagoon is 27 kilometres (17 miles) long and 19 kilometres (12 miles) wide with a lagoon area of about 461 square kilometres (178 square miles). The atoll is made up of two major islands and numerous islets. The northeastern quarter of the atoll is a single, mostly uninhabited island. The whole atoll is surrounded by an almost continuous coral reef. There is a single pass deep and wide enough for navigation in and out of the lagoon. Tuheiava Pass is located on the western shore. The main village is called Tuherahera.