Around Tahiti Nui
In a casual, yet beautiful and romantic setting on a verandah overlooking the black-sand beach of Papara, this place serves unique and tasty dishes. Expect fish with papaya sauce, cassoulet and especially good thin-crust pizzas, although the menu changes daily. There's occasional live music on weekends.
The gendarmerie is next door so don't be alarmed if the place is full of cops – they love the food too!
15.71 MILES
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…
17.53 MILES
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…
18.42 MILES
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…
Bain de Vaima & Vaipahi Spring Gardens
8.08 MILES
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…
16.73 MILES
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…
9.46 MILES
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…
2.71 MILES
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…
9.95 MILES
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…
2.18 MILES
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…
2.71 MILES
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…
4.28 MILES
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…
6 MILES
This rather wide (by Tahiti standards) beach is popular with families and has public facilities. The sand is white-grey.
6.27 MILES
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 –…
6.41 MILES
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…
7. Bain de Vaima & Vaipahi Spring Gardens
8.08 MILES
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…
8.31 MILES
This very well-maintained site holds three adjoined stone courtyards, each with its own ahu (alter). It was probably used for religious fishing rituals…