You'll need a guide to find Tahiti's best preserved petroglyphs deep on the Te Pari coast and accessible only on foot or by boat.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Bain de Vaima & Vaipahi Spring Gardens
17.86 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…
27.43 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…
16.68 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…
22.89 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…
16 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…
7.66 MILES
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…
19.33 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 –…
23.36 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…
Nearby Tahiti attractions
1.77 MILES
A gem of a cave accessible only by foot or boat, looking out over a wild stretch of reef-free coast.
2.51 MILES
Waves move in and out of this hidden cave from the coast. It's like a natural (not hot) hot tub.
3.84 MILES
Popular day trip from Teahupoo. Walk into blackness till your eyes adjust then swim to the back through the icy waters.
7.66 MILES
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…
9.14 MILES
View over the bucolic plateaus of Taravao to the blue coastlines and towering Tahiti Nui.
10.59 MILES
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…