Points of interest French Polynesia: Tourism & Monuments

Practical information : Sightseeing French Polynesia

Timetable

Most of the places to visit in French Polynesia are free to enter, with no entrance fee or schedule. When this is not the case, the opening hours vary from 8 or 9 am to 4 or 5 pm, with a possible break at lunch time. The markets - especially the one in Papeete - are very early and open their doors at 5 am or even earlier! The activity is sometimes restricted on Sundays, but the places of visit are usually open, with slightly lighter hours.

To be booked

Pearl farms generally offer guided tours at fixed times and/or by appointment: please inquire on a case-by-case basis. On some islands - Rangiroa with Gauguin's Pearl in particular - a shuttle bus can even pick you up free of charge if you have booked it. As for visits to vanilla plantations in Tahaa - the Vanilla Valley for example, at Brian and Moeata's - it is best to call ahead to make sure the owners are available. Otherwise, you can go through a local guide, who will organize all your visits without you having to ask yourself these kinds of questions.

Main events

The months of July-August are perfect for a visit to Fenua: cultural, sporting and traditional Heiva celebrations are numerous throughout the territory and bring to life some of the most beautiful archaeological sites. Every Saturday in July in particular, the tamure shows at Tahiti's Marae Arahurahu allow you to combine a visit with a plunge into ancestral culture. To be booked in advance at the Carrefour Punaauia ticket office.

Guided tours

If they are not systematically proposed by the places of visit themselves, they nevertheless bring a real added value to your discovery. Where you might only see a pile of stones nicely aligned, a guide will be able to transmit to you the sacredness of a marae, the history of these thousand-year-old archaeological sites, and might even succeed in making you feel the mana that emanates from the place... Not all hikes are perfectly marked or secured (we specify this on a case by case basis in the pages of this guide): calling on a professional can also prove invaluable to penetrate the exuberant Polynesian nature and to survey its steep reliefs.

Tourist traps

As everywhere else, it is preferable to use certified guides, or at least experienced guides, for your guided tours and other tours of the islands. This rule is all the more valid for your dolphin and whale watching tours: unfortunately, guides and pilots do not always respect the regulations applied for the approach of cetaceans. Those mentioned in this guide have been tested and approved by us!

Tourist Attractions & Monuments French Polynesia

GAUGUIN'S PEARL

BELVEDERA

TEMA BEACH

THE BLUE LAGON

TEREIA BEACH

TOUR OF THE ISLAND

CHAMPON PEARL FARM

PAPEETE MARKET (MAPURU A PARAITA)

VENUS POINT AND MATAVAI BAY

MARAE TATAA AND ARAHURAHU

MARAE TAPUTAPUATEA

MARAA CAVES

MOOREA TROPICAL GARDEN

VAIMA SPRING AND VAIPAHI GARDENS

THE BLOWER HOLE

TARAVAO PLATE

THE 3 WATERFALLS OF FAARUMAI

FROM TIAHURA POINT TO OPUNOHU BAY

TAHITI DISCOVERY

FAUTAUA VALLEY

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