Holiday in Tahiti

About Tahiti

Tahiti is the queen of Polynesia — the largest island of French Polynesia and the gateway to an archipelago of 118 islands scattered over a sea area as large as Western Europe. Since Paul Gauguin created his vibrant South Sea paintings here in 1891, Tahiti has become synonymous with the tropical paradise: volcanic mountain peaks disappearing into the clouds, turquoise lagoons, and a culture that welcomes visitors with flower garlands and the scent of Tiare flowers. Papeete, the vibrant capital, surprises with the Marche de Papeete, one of the most colorful markets in the South Seas: exotic fruits like rambutan, star fruit, and Tahiti vanilla, handmade pareos, black pearls, and fresh tuna are traded under colorful umbrellas. In the evening, the harbor transforms into a Roulotte street — mobile snack trucks where locals and visitors alike enjoy Poisson Cru and crepes under the stars. The interior of Tahiti is unexpectedly wild: the Fautaua waterfall plunges 130 meters into a gorge, accessible only by a multi-hour jungle hike. Mount Orohena (2,241 m) is the highest peak in Polynesia, and the Papenoo Valley leads by 4x4 vehicle through tropical rainforest to sacred Marae temple complexes built by Polynesian ancestors centuries ago. The lagoon of Tahiti Iti (Little Tahiti) offers some of the best surf spots in the world: Teahupo'o, where meter-high waves break over a shallow coral reef, is legendary and was the venue for the surfing competitions at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. For divers, the underwater world offers encounters with manta rays, lemon sharks, and humpback whales that migrate through Polynesian waters from July to November.