Tahiti and its Islands | Travel in French Polynesia

Tahiti and its Islands - The Heart of the South Pacific

Mythical pearl of the Pacific Ocean, Tahiti and Its Islands instantly evoke paradise: turquoise lagoons, lush mountains, and the warm welcome of the Polynesian people. This legendary archipelago of French Polynesia is an invitation to daydreaming, unhurried living, and beauty. Here, nature sets the pace of life, traditions are passed down like treasures, and every sunrise seems to herald a new miracle.

Composed of a myriad of islands and atolls scattered across the ocean, French Polynesia is a world apart. Its incredibly diverse landscapes combine majestic volcanoes, dense forests, endless lagoons, and pearly-sand beaches. It is a land of harmony where Polynesian culture, rich and spiritual, lives on through music, dance, tattooing, and craftsmanship. In these islands, the word « Mana » - that sacred energy connecting all living beings - takes on its fullest meaning.

Tahiti, the main island, concentrates the very soul of the Pacific. Mountainous and generous, it is the gateway to this world of light. Its coasts alternate between black volcanic sand beaches and turquoise-hued lagoons. In the highlands, deep valleys conceal majestic waterfalls such as Faarumai, and trails lined with tree ferns. In Papeete, the vibrant and colorful capital, markets exude blended fragrances of vanilla, tiare, and tropical fruits. Stalls overflow with flowers, mother-of-pearl, and Tahiti pearls with shifting overtones, symbols of Polynesian refinement.

Tahiti is also a land of emotion and tradition. Discover the ori tahiti, a sensual, powerful dance; polyphonic singing; and island cuisine where poisson cru with coconut milk, uru (breadfruit), and Tahaa vanilla tell the story of the land and sea’s generosity. At dusk, the waterfront comes alive: food trucks serve tasty dishes under the stars, while musicians set guitars and ukuleles vibrating to the rhythm of the Pacific.

Tahiti

Just off Tahiti, Moorea rises like a postcard vision. Its perfect bays - Cook and Opunohu - are edged by jagged mountains plunging into crystal-clear lagoons. Green hills shelter pineapple plantations, tropical gardens, and spectacular viewpoints such as the Belvédère. A paradise for divers and lovers, Moorea enchants with its gentle atmosphere: here, you wake to roosters crowing and fall asleep to the murmur of the sea. The island abounds in activities: excursions in traditional outrigger canoes, horseback rides, valley hikes, or simple moments of relaxation in an overwater bungalow.

Moorea

Farther north, Tetiaroa is a timeless jewel. This mythical atoll, once owned by the legendary Marlon Brando, symbolizes the pure beauty and fragility of Polynesian nature. This ecological sanctuary shelters exceptionally rich wildlife: seabirds, green turtles, multicolored fish, and coconut palms dancing in the wind. Tetiaroa embodies an absolute dream: a return to nature at its noblest and most soothing.

Tetiaroa

Bora Bora, nicknamed the « Pearl of the Pacific », embodies the very image of earthly paradise. Its crystal-blue lagoon, motu fringed with white sand, and the majestic Mount Otemanu make it a legendary destination. Overwater bungalows aligned above the lagoon seem to float between sky and sea. At every hour of the day, the water’s shades change - azure in the morning, turquoise at noon, indigo at dusk. Bora Bora is the realm of elegance and romance, a place where time stands still and each moment is etched as an emotion. Come evening, the sun sets the horizon ablaze, and palm silhouettes stand out against the golden light of a waking dream.

Bora Bora

Not far away, Raiatea - considered the sacred island of Polynesia - is the spiritual cradle of the Maohi people. Here stands the mythical Taputapuatea Marae, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the religious and political center of the Polynesian triangle linking Hawai‘i, Aotearoa (New Zealand), and Rapa Nui (Easter Island). This age-old place of worship, bordered by the ocean, still radiates palpable spiritual energy. Raiatea is also a sailors’ paradise: its lagoon, shared with Taha’a, teems with coral gardens, tropical fish, and pearls with sumptuous overtones.

Raiatea

Huahine, more secret and wilder, enchants travelers with its authenticity and tranquil soul. Sometimes called the « island of women », it exudes a mysterious, captivating aura. Its peaceful villages, deserted beaches, ancient marae, and vanilla plantations give it a strong identity. Huahine is a living, unspoiled Polynesia, where traditions endure in everyday gestures. Fishermen still mend their nets in the shade of breadfruit trees, and children dive from piers into a lagoon of unreal calm.

Huahine

Lastly, Maupiti is the discreet jewel of the Leeward Islands. The wild little sister of Bora Bora, it is its authentic, preserved alter ego. Accessible only by boat or small plane, Maupiti keeps alive the Polynesian soul of yesteryear: no large hotels or flashy luxury, but family guesthouses, children’s laughter, bicycles along flowered paths, and silent sunsets. From the summit of Mount Teurafaatiu, the view over the lagoon and surrounding motu is among the most spectacular in the Pacific. Maupiti embodies the humility, grace, and purity of the islands.

Together, Bora Bora, Raiatea, Huahine, and Maupiti form the beating heart of the Leeward Islands: an archipelago where legends, hospitality, and breathtaking landscapes intertwine. These islands offer the quintessence of French Polynesia - a world where nature, the sea, and the spirit of the ancestors meet in perfect harmony. Through them, you discover not only a place but a philosophy: that of a people living in balance with the elements, in the gentleness and light of the Pacific.
 

The Tuamotu Islands - The Kingdom of Lagoons

True coral jewels set upon the infinite blue of the Pacific, the Tuamotu Islands stretch for more than 1,400 kilometers, sketching a constellation of pearly rings on the ocean’s surface. This extraordinary archipelago, made up of 77 atolls, seems to float beyond time. Here, sky and sea blend into the same light, and the horizon fades, giving way only to beauty. Fragile and majestic, the Tuamotu embody the essence of an untouched paradise, where nature reigns supreme and silence speaks louder than words.

Each atoll is a world of its own. A slender crown of sand, a few coconut palms bowed by the trade winds, a lagoon with changing overtones - from azure blue to emerald green - and, all around, the immensity of the Pacific. The traveler who sets foot here discovers a different dimension of time: one where modernity recedes, replaced by simplicity, contemplation, and communion with the sea. Warm and discreet, the inhabitants preserve a way of life turned toward the ocean, between fishing, copra, and pearl farming.

The Tuamotu are also the cradle of the Tahiti pearl, that organic gem embodying the prestige and purity of the South Pacific. In the peaceful lagoons of Manihi, Ahe, and Fakarava, pearl farms carefully raise Pinctada margaritifera oysters. Suspended from lines in limpid waters, they capture light, transform it, and give birth to pearls with silver, aubergine, green, or golden overtones. Each pearl tells a story: that of the lagoon, the wind, and the artisans’ skill, cultivated with patience and respect. These pearls, now symbols of natural luxury, are exported worldwide, carrying with them the soul of the Tuamotu.

Beneath the surface, the lagoons reveal a spectacle of striking beauty. Coral reefs, true cathedrals of life, shelter exuberant marine fauna: parrotfish, Napoleon wrasse, turtles, manta rays, and grey reef sharks move in perfect harmony. Every dive is an encounter with nature’s poetry. The passes, where the lagoon opens to the ocean, are gateways to this fascinating underwater world. Divers from around the globe come here for an incomparable experience - drifting between two waters amid a ballet of marine creatures dancing to the rhythm of the currents.

Rangiroa, the largest atoll, is a legend in itself. Its gigantic lagoon - the second largest in the world - is so vast it could contain the entire island of Tahiti. Locals call it the « inner sea ». Its two mythical passes, Tiputa and Avatoru, stage scenes of rare marine intensity: playful dolphins, schools of silvery jacks, hammerhead sharks, and majestic turtles. With each tide, life renews itself there. Rangiroa is also famous for its coral vineyard, unique in the world, where vines grow on limestone soils bathed in sea spray. This tropical wine, the fruit of Polynesian audacity, offers surprising mineral and fruity flavors, much like this extraordinary island.

Rangiroa

A short distance away, Tikehau charms with its gentleness and perfect harmony. It is a dream atoll, circular, fringed with motu boasting pink-sand beaches, lined with coconut palms, and caressed by the Pacific’s warm winds. Nicknamed the « island of pink sands », Tikehau offers a palette of colors in perpetual motion: turquoise, pink, indigo, gold. Here, nature seems to breathe in unison with humanity. The calm, luminous lagoon teems with tropical fish and seabirds. White terns glide over the waters, outrigger canoes slip by silently, and life flows with a soothing slowness. It is an ideal place for those seeking pure beauty, solitude, and inner peace.

Tikehau

Further south, Fakarava embodies the natural majesty of the Tuamotu. Designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, it protects one of the richest marine ecosystems on the planet. Its immense, deep-blue lagoon is connected to the ocean by two passes: Garuae, the widest in Polynesia, and Tumakohua, world-renowned for its spectacular wall of sharks. Divers live a unique experience here, in the heart of an aquatic symphony where each species seems to play its part in perfect balance.

But Fakarava is not only the sea: it is also a close-knit human community living in harmony with nature. Residents cultivate sand gardens, raise chickens and pigs on the motu, and welcome travelers with disarming simplicity. Electricity often comes from the sun, rainwater is collected from rooftops, and time passes to the rhythm of the waves. This gentle, mindful life inspires those who dream of a slower, more respectful, truer world.

Fakarava

Each Tuamotu atoll has its own character: Manihi, the pearl pioneer; Ahe, the discreet; Arutua, the poetic; and Makemo and Katiu, guardians of an original Polynesia. Together they form a mosaic of lagoons and light, an archipelago where sea, wind, and coral tell the same story: that of a world in perfect balance.

Between ever-changing lagoons, intact coral reefs, and living traditions, the Tuamotu embody the very essence of the Polynesian paradise. Each atoll is a poem, each lagoon a promise of wonder and peace. It is a pure, profound, and infinitely beautiful Polynesia - where nature, the sea, and humankind are one.
 

The Gambier - Refuge at the World’s End

Some 1,600 kilometers southeast of Tahiti, the Gambier Islands form an archipelago of mystical beauty and deep spiritual meaning. This string of islands, lost in the immensity of the Pacific, is considered the historical and religious heart of French Polynesia. Isolated from the rest of the world, the Gambier seem suspended between sky and sea, bathed in a soft, enveloping light that lends each sunrise a sacred dimension.

The archipelago consists mainly of four principal islands - Mangareva, Akamaru, Aukena, and Taravai - linked by a deep-blue lagoon dotted with dozens of motu. This lagoon, shimmering turquoise and emerald, shelters coral reefs of exceptional richness. Around it, volcanic mountains draped in tropical forests dominate a landscape of absolute serenity. Time seems to have stopped, offering visitors a rare sense of eternity and inner peace.

Only about one thousand inhabitants live on these distant lands, in a delicate balance between sea, faith, and nature. Life flows slowly here, paced by church bells, tides, and copra harvests. Houses, often bordered by hibiscus and frangipani, reflect happy simplicity. Residents cultivate the land, fish the lagoon, and maintain an almost mystical relationship with their environment. In the Gambier, solidarity, faith, and collective memory form the foundations of daily life.

The history of the Gambier Islands is closely tied to the evangelization of the Pacific. In the 19th century, the first French Catholic missionaries landed here, led by Bishop Honoré Laval and Father François Caret. Under their guidance, the inhabitants embraced Christianity and built true masterpieces of religious architecture in coral stone. Chief among them, the majestic St. Michael’s Cathedral of Rikitea - one of the oldest and largest in the South Pacific - still stands at the heart of Mangareva. Its stained glass, mother-of-pearl altars, and bells cast in France tell a unique story imbued with fervor and devotion.

Rikitea

The other islands are no less remarkable: Akamaru preserves a church of simple, poignant beauty, a vestige of a time when faith animated every stone, while Aukena holds the ruins of the first Catholic college in Polynesia. Taravai, for its part, embodies tranquility: its church, set facing the lagoon, seems to bless the placid waters and surrounding motu. Together, these places form a true open-air museum of Polynesian religious heritage.

Akamaru

But the Gambier are not only a sanctuary of faith; they are also a major center of Polynesian pearl farming. Here, in Mangareva’s pure, deep lagoons, some of the rarest and most precious Tahiti pearls are cultivated. Pearl-farming artisans, heirs to meticulous know-how, raise Pinctada margaritifera oysters in an environment still pristine, where water quality and marine biodiversity confer incomparable luster on the pearls. Each pearl born in the Gambier seems to capture a fragment of the Pacific’s light.

The seascapes are a constant spectacle: outrigger canoes gliding across a motionless lagoon, reflections playing between clouds and sea, flights of tropical birds over the passes. In the evening, as the sun sinks behind the mountains, the archipelago blazes with a golden glow, and silence becomes almost sacred. It is a world suspended beyond time, where nature and spirituality intertwine in perfect harmony.

Visiting the Gambier Islands is an inner journey. It is discovering a place where faith, the sea, and memory meet. It is feeling, deep within, the power of simplicity and the grandeur of silence. This forgotten territory, on the fringes of the Polynesian world, remains one of the South Pacific’s most secret and moving treasures.

The Gambier also perpetuate the pearling tradition, producing Tahiti pearls of exceptional quality. It is a world suspended beyond time, where natural beauty marries faith, silence, and the sea.
 

The Marquesas Islands - The Land of Men

Wild and powerful, the Marquesas Islands rise 1,500 km northeast of Tahiti. Called « Te Henua Enana » - the Land of Men - they harbor an ancestral culture deeply rooted in place. Sculptures, tattoos, songs, and dances recount the memory of the ancestors and perpetuate the spirit of ancient Polynesian chiefs.

The landscapes are grand: sheer mountains, green valleys, black-sand beaches, and vertiginous waterfalls. Still spared from mass tourism, these islands offer raw nature and a rare sense of freedom. The Marquesas inspired great artists - among them Paul Gauguin and Jacques Brel - who found there the very essence of creation and inner peace.

Each island - Nuku Hiva, Hiva Oa, Tahuata, Fatu Hiva, or Ua Pou - possesses its own identity, a singular soul. The Marquesas are not simply visited; they are lived, in respect for their traditions, the strength of their relief, and the grandeur of their legends.

Nuku Hiva, the largest of the Marquesas, is a world of contrasts. Its volcanic plateaus plunge into spectacular bays such as the famous Controller Bay or Taiohae, the administrative capital of the archipelago. Surrounded by mountains covered with ferns and coconut palms, this island captivates adventurers and lovers of untouched spaces. Discover ancient archaeological sites, mysterious petroglyphs, and monumental tikis - witnesses to the greatness of Marquesan civilizations.

Nuku Hiva

Hiva Oa is a land of art and memory. Here lie Paul Gauguin and Jacques Brel, united for eternity in the Calvary cemetery overlooking Atuona Bay. The island is a true open-air museum: colossal statues, sacred tikis, and remains of ancient villages recall the spiritual power of this place. Hiva Oa embodies the wild poetry of the Marquesas, a balance between natural beauty and cultural depth.

Hiva Oa

A few miles away, Tahuata enchants with its intimacy and gentle landscapes. Smaller and accessible only by boat, it offers secluded coves, white-sand beaches - rare in the archipelago - and crystal-clear waters. The island is famous for its bone and wood carvers, whose talent perpetuates Marquesan artistic traditions. Life flows peacefully here, to the rhythm of tides and wind.

Further south, Fatu Hiva is perhaps the most spectacular of all. Its rugged relief, cloaked in dense vegetation, creates breathtaking panoramas. The Omoa valley shelters artisans of the famous tapa, the traditional barkcloth, while Hanavave opens onto the mythical Bay of Virgins, one of the most beautiful vistas in the Pacific. Fatu Hiva is an island of pure emotion, a sanctuary where nature still seems to speak the language of the gods.

Finally, Ua Pou stands out with its majestic volcanic spires, true stone arrows rising from the sea. Their peaks, often wrapped in clouds, tower over picturesque villages and valleys blooming with tiare and hibiscus. Ua Pou is the artistic heart of the Marquesas: land of musicians, sculptors, and storytellers, it embodies the vitality and pride of the Marquesan people. During traditional festivals, drums echo to the sea, reminding us that the Marquesas still pulse to the rhythm of their millennia-old culture.

From the cliffs of Nuku Hiva to the mystical valleys of Fatu Hiva, each Marquesan island tells a fragment of history and legend. It is an untamed, vibrant, spiritual Polynesia, where the primal force of the world can still be felt.
 

The Austral Islands - The Secret of the South

South of the Tropic of Capricorn stretch the Austral Islands, a little-known archipelago that seems to float between two worlds: tradition and silence. Composed of Rurutu, Tubuai, Raivavae, Rimatara, and Rapa, they mark the southern boundary of French Polynesia. Here the winds blow cooler, the light softens, and nature seems to watch over its inhabitants with timeless benevolence. The Australs embody an authentic, rural, poetic Polynesia, where life still keeps time with sunrise, the sea, and the seasons.

Raivavae

The landscapes possess singular beauty: mountains mantled in ferns, fertile plateaus, turquoise lagoons, deep valleys, and cliffs sculpted by Pacific swells. Villages with colorful houses and hibiscus-filled gardens breathe serenity. You hear roosters at dawn, the steady dip of paddles on water, and children’s laughter playing near outrigger canoes. In these preserved islands, modernity has not erased the simplicity or humanity of daily gestures.

Residents uphold a harmonious lifestyle founded on self-sufficiency and respect for nature. Taro is cultivated in valleys irrigated by mountain springs; pandanus is woven into mats and baskets; wood is carved with patience and devotion. Social bonds are strong: meals are shared, work is done in community, and every celebration gathers the whole village in joy and music.

Rurutu, nicknamed the « island of cliffs », is perhaps the most emblematic of the Australs. It is distinguished by its dramatic relief: limestone caves, plunging cliffs, and green plateaus from which the ocean stretches to infinity. Its mysterious caverns, such as Ana A’eo Cave, hold stalactites sculpted by time. Rurutu is also a stronghold of living traditions. Each year, locals celebrate the Tere festivals, a collective procession around the island marked by songs, dance, and communal feasts.

Rurutu is also famous for its horse races and breeding, unique in Polynesia. Riders, often barefoot, gallop along the beach in a festive, colorful atmosphere. Local crafts are exquisitely refined: women weave baskets and hats from dried pandanus, adorned with patterns inspired by the surrounding nature. Visitors often leave with the memory of a smile, a tiare flower offered, and a sense of peace.

Tubuai, in the center of the archipelago, is the largest and most dynamic of the Australs. Its immense lagoon, fringed with motu and protected by a double barrier reef, is a true marine garden. It was here that the Bounty mutineers landed in 1789, seeking refuge after their famed rebellion against Captain Bligh. This historical past has left a strong imprint on the island’s memory.

Today, Tubuai is a model of balance between tradition and modernity. The island is renowned for its exceptional fertility: fields of taro, sweet potatoes, banana trees, and tropical vegetables feed a population attached to the land. Fishermen still practice line- and spear-fishing, respecting the rhythm of the sea. Many visitors are charmed by the warm welcome of the inhabitants and the tranquil beauty of this generous island, where sunsets set the lagoon ablaze in sacred silence.

Tubuai

Rapa - often called Rapa Iti, little Rapa - is the most mysterious and isolated of the Australs, nearly 1,200 kilometers southeast of Tahiti. Surrounded by steep mountains and often cloaked in mist, it seems to float between reality and myth. Its rugged terrain of ridges, valleys, and dense forests makes it a true natural sanctuary. Rapa is a world apart: without a lagoon, without hotels, without a continuous coastal road, it lives by ancestral communal rules in which every inhabitant contributes to collective life.

The island preserves striking traces of an ancient, mysterious past. More than a dozen stone fortresses, called pa, still dominate the hills. These archaeological remains testify to an organized, warrior society deeply rooted in its land. Proud of their heritage, the people of Rapa continue to pass down their songs and legends and maintain a sustainable way of life based on solidarity. Those who reach Rapa discover an original Polynesia, rugged yet deeply human, where the soul of the Pacific feels intact.

The Austral Islands captivate travelers seeking disconnection, spirituality, and authenticity. Their mysterious caves, ancient petroglyphs, peerless skies, and big-hearted inhabitants make them a well-kept secret of the Pacific. Here, everything invites slowness: colors, light, silence, and smiles. These southern islands are an open-air poem, an intimate, sincere Polynesia where beauty is expressed in the simplicity and truth of everyday life.

Tahiti and Its Islands, a Treasure of the Blue World

From the luminous lagoons of the Tuamotu to the majestic mountains of the Marquesas, every island of French Polynesia tells a story, a legend, an emotion. These faraway lands are much more than a simple archipelago: they are a mosaic of souls, landscapes, and cultures woven together by the Pacific Ocean. Each island has its own identity, its light, its music, and its breath. Together, they form a world of rare richness, a sanctuary where natural beauty and ancestral wisdom unite in an almost mystical harmony.

Here, nature still speaks to humankind. Lagoons shimmer like celestial mirrors, sleeping volcanoes watch over fertile valleys, and the wind whispers through coconut palms like a prayer to the sea. Polynesians live in symbiosis with this majestic environment. They respect, protect, and celebrate it through their dances, songs, and tattoos, which are not mere ornaments but living tales of a millennia-old history.

On the islands, every everyday gesture is imbued with poetry. The fisherman casting his net at sunrise, the pandanus weaver making a hat for the market, the carver polishing a piece of mother-of-pearl, or the child laughing in the waves - all partake in the same symphony: that of island life. Here, time flows differently. It is not counted in hours but in tides, seasons, and moments of light.

At the heart of this harmony between land and sea are born the Tahiti pearls, true jewels of the Pacific. Born from the union of the ocean and human hands, they reflect the depth of the lagoon and the patience of the artisans who cultivate them. Each pearl is unique, like each island, like each Polynesian soul. Their iridescent luster symbolizes both purity and strength, delicacy and eternity - the very essence of Polynesia.

Visiting Tahiti and Its Islands is far more than a journey: it is an encounter. An encounter with nature at its purest, and also with oneself. It means plunging into a world where authenticity prevails over superficiality, where a stranger’s gaze becomes an invitation to smile, where each island teaches you to listen, to feel, to breathe.

In this blessed archipelago, one discovers that wealth is not measured by what one possesses, but by what one feels. It is a land of emotions, a casket of beauty where spirituality is everywhere: in the flight of birds, in the lagoon’s clarity, in the softness of a Maohi song at sunset. Those who have walked the sands of Tahiti, Moorea, the Marquesas, or the Tuamotu know that you never truly leave these islands: they remain within you like an inner light.

Through its landscapes, its people, and its Tahiti pearls of bewitching beauty, this land illustrates the perfect balance between nature and culture, between spirit and sea, between memory and future. Polynesia is not just a destination: it is an emotion, a philosophy, a way of being in the world.

Visiting Tahiti and Its Islands is to embark on a journey to the heart of the Pacific - and also to the heart of oneself. It is to open up to beauty, simplicity, and peace. It is to rediscover what the modern world has often forgotten: the art of living in harmony with nature, with others, and with time.