In short
Papeete is the capital of French Polynesia and the compulsory point of entry to the archipelago. It is a working port city, not a postcard: anyone landing hoping for a turquoise lagoon at the end of the runway has the wrong island.
Papeete market, on two levels, is the heart of the city. The waterfront and Place Vai'ete come alive in the evening. Tahiti itself divides between Tahiti Nui, the large island, and Tahiti Iti, the peninsula.
Arriving and getting around
Faa'a airport is five kilometres from the centre.
Moorea is thirty minutes away by ferry from Papeete, and many travellers transfer straight there on arrival. Domestic flights serve the other archipelagos.
The ring road circles Tahiti Nui in about a hundred kilometres. Buses exist but are irregular: a car is safer.
What it really costs
French Polynesia is expensive — imports, distance, standard of living. It is the dominant parameter of any stay.
The roulottes, food trucks that set up in the evening on Place Vai'ete, serve local food at prices unrelated to those in restaurants. They are the city's economic institution.
The currency is the Pacific franc, pegged to the euro.
When to come
May–October is the dry, cooler season, the best period.
November–April is hot, humid, and corresponds to the cyclone season.
What nobody tells you
Tahiti's beaches are mostly black sand, of volcanic origin. The white sand and lagoons of the images are on Moorea, Bora Bora and in the Tuamotus. Tahiti is mountainous and green, not a beach island.
Teahupo'o, on Tahiti Iti, is one of the most powerful waves in the world and hosted the surfing events of the 2024 Olympic Games. You watch it from the point or from a boat; you do not surf it without proven ability.
The Heiva, in July, is the great festival of Polynesian dance and song: a serious competition, not a show for visitors, and it fills the city.
Polynesian tattooing is a living, codified practice; the motifs carry meaning and are not chosen from a catalogue.