Pape'ete
A Pape'ete institution. If you see one site in town, make it this market, which fills an entire city block. Shop for colourful pareu (sarongs), shell…
Must-see attractions in Tahiti
Around Tahiti Nui
There’s a popular surf break just before the headland that signals the start of the small village of Papenoo. A long bridge crosses the Papenoo River at…
Around Tahiti Nui
Part of Captain Cook’s mission on his three-month sojourn in 1769 was to record the transit of Venus across the face of the sun in an attempt to calculate…
Pape'ete
The Territorial Assembly and other government buildings occupy Place Tarahoi, the former site of the Pomare palace. The termite-riddled 1883 palace was…
Bain de Vaima & Vaipahi Spring Gardens
Around Tahiti Nui
Bain de Vaima (Vaima Pool) is where locals come from all over to bathe in the icy but exceptionally clear waters that are thought to have healing…
Around Tahiti Nui
Strategically situated at the narrow isthmus connecting Tahiti Nui with Tahiti Iti, the town of Taravao has been a military base on and off since 1844,…
Around Tahiti Nui
Through the village of Tiarei where the road swoops around a black-sand beach, you’ll see a sign on the mountain side of the road for the exceedingly high…
Around Tahiti Nui
The 137-hectare Jardins Botaniques has walking paths that wind their way through the garden past ponds, palms, a massive banyan tree and a superb mape…
Around Tahiti Nui
Just east of the village of Papara, the Marae Mahaiatea was the most magnificent marae on Tahiti at the time of Cook’s first visit (according to Cook it…
Around Tahiti Nui
This museum has been closed for years but hopefully it will reopen during the life of this book. The airy site surrounded by lush foliage is lovely, and…
Pape'ete
Although the Catholic cathedral is placed squarely in the town centre, Tahiti remains predominantly Protestant, a lasting legacy of the LMS missionaries…
Pointe du Taharaa – One Tree Hill
Pape'ete
At the top of the hill at around PK8, pull off to the lagoon side of the road and park in the lot that once belonged to Tahiti’s very upmarket Hyatt…
Pape'ete
Taking pride of place in the centre of town is the Cathédrale Notre-Dame.
Pape'ete
In Arue, on the water’s edge, signposted and just a short detour off the coastal road, is the tomb of the last of the Pomare family. The Tomb of Pomare V…
Pape'ete
This is the main walking area along the waterfront, where you’ll find paved walking paths that meander past blooming planter boxes and the occasional tree…
Tahiti
Teahupoo is world famous among surfing circles for its monster wave. Until the early 2000s, the Teahupoo wave was only known to local surfers. It now…
Tahiti
Just outside Pape’ete’s urban sprawl, the Lagoonarium is a pleasant tourist trap with a meshed-in area of lagoon with a modest underwater viewing room; it…
Pape'ete
This pearl museum was created by pearl magnate Robert Wan with aims of luring visitors into his glamorous shop. It’s a worthwhile, small and modern museum…
Around Tahiti Nui
Between 1891 and 1893, Paul Gauguin lived in Mataiea where he produced works including Two Women on the Beach, Woman with a Mango and Ia Orana Maria –…
Pape'ete
This pearl museum was created by pearl magnate Robert Wan with aims of luring visitors into his glamorous shop. It’s a worthwhile, small and modern museum…
Around Tahiti Nui
Only 15km from Pape’ete along the west coast, this excellent museum, in Puna’auia, is divided into four sections: geography and natural history; pre…
Around Tahiti Nui
Whether or not you believe in the powers of the tiki (sacred statue), it’s hard to deny there is an amazing energy radiating from Marae Arahurahu in the…
Around Tahiti Nui
Everybody loves Plage de Taharuu – locals taking the kids for a swim, tourists on day trips from Pape’ete and surfers catching some great waves. This…
Around Tahiti Nui
When the swell is big enough, huge sprays of water shoot out from the trou du souffleur (blowhole) in a little park by the road just after the tunnel at…
Pape'ete
Towards the outer edge of Pape’ete’s urban sprawl in Arue is this lovely little replica of Mutiny on the Bounty co-author James Norman Hall’s house. The…
Pape'ete
On the edge of Matavai Bay, this wide curve of sparkling black sand is great for a dip. It never gets crowded. The eastern side is framed by steep…
Pape'ete
This square is an evolving multi-use development project on Pape’ete’s western edge. The far end of the square is home to a 5000-seat pavilion, which is…
Tahiti
A picturesque strip of white sand, Maui Beach gets packed and noisy on weekends, but is peaceful during the week. It’s right on the road but has shallow…
Tahiti
A signposted turn-off at PK9.5 leads a short distance inland to the rarely visited remains of Marae Nuutere, restored in 1994. There are three paved yards…
Pape'ete
Some members of the Pomare family are buried (or may be buried – their tombs are unmarked) in the Cimetière Pomare. A board at the cemetery indicates…
Pape'ete
Place Vaiete is home to multiple roulottes and occasional live-music performances at night, but is quite peaceful during the day. There are plenty of…
Tahiti
This very well-maintained site holds three adjoined stone courtyards, each with its own ahu (alter). It was probably used for religious fishing rituals…
Around Tahiti Nui
Beloved by locals, Plage du PK18 is a stunning beach to sun yourself on, but not that great for swimming or snorkelling due to the shallow water. The…
Around Tahiti Nui
Lush gardens, overhung caverns, crystal-clear pools and ferny grottoes are all standard features at gorgeous Mara’a Grotto. The fairy-tale park is found…
Tahiti
The restored Marae Farehape site is almost directly below the ridge line on which the Relais de la Maroto inn perches; you can see an archery platform…
Pape'ete
Pape’ete’s mairie is two blocks back from Blvd Pomare and a block north of Marché de Pape’ete. It was completed in 1990, in vague imitation of the old…
Pape'ete
A great spot to just chill out, Parc Bougainville is a tropical oasis in the middle of the city. Lush and cool, it’s fronted by a 1909 bust of the great…
Pape'ete
You’ll be impressed by the massive proportions of the vividly colourful Chinese temple, also known as Kanti de Mamao. It’s a 10-minute stroll east from…
Pape'ete
To the west, along Av Bruat, is the Ministère de la Culture. There’s an exhibition space here that is worth a peek.
Around Tahiti Nui
The black-sand Plage de Hitimahana is exposed to the prevailing winds, which makes it an excellent kitesurfing and windsurfing spot.
