The coastal road rounds Hauru Point, the northwestern corner of the island, between PK25 and PK30. Hauru Point has one of the best beaches on the island, a narrow but sandy stretch that extends for a couple of kilometres, with turquoise water and good snorkelling. That said, finding your way to the beach is not easy because there's no public access. Your best bet is to walk through the grounds of hotels and have a drink at their beachfront bar or restaurant.
Hauru Point is one of the island’s major tourist enclaves, although it has seen better days – a number of shops, restaurants and hotels have closed since 2008. The area is often referred to as Haapiti, since it's in the Haapiti district, even though the village of Haapiti is well to the south.
Immediately offshore are two attractive little motu (islets) so close to the shore you can easily paddle out to them (beware of the current, though). Remember that the actual motu are private (although the littoral areas aren’t).