Papeete
Currency
XPF
Language
French, Tahitian
Timezone
Tahiti
Continent
Oceania
Discover Papeete
Papeete is not the postcard — that starts offshore. It is the capital of French Polynesia, a trading and administrative town on Tahiti's north coast, and the compulsory gateway to the other islands. The Marché de Papeete, on two floors, is the real centre: flowers, fish, monoï, pareos, and pandanus weaving upstairs. The Cathédrale Notre-Dame, in coral and timber, dates from 1875. East of town, the Pointe Vénus lighthouse marks where James Cook observed the transit of Venus in 1769, the expedition that brought him here; the beach is black volcanic sand, which surprises those expecting white. Behind the town, Mont Orohena rises to 2,241 metres — the highest point in Polynesia — with Aorai just below.
When to go
The dry season, May to October, is the right one: twenty-seven degrees, less humidity, the sea at twenty-six. November to April is the wet season, hot and heavy, with brief but daily downpours and a cyclone risk from January to March. July is Heiva, the great festival of dance and song that runs for weeks and fills the accommodation. The water is swimmable all year.
Getting around
Papeete is walkable along the waterfront and around the market. For the island loop — one hundred and fourteen kilometres — a hire car is necessary; there is no train and the trucks that serve as buses are irregular. Ferries to Moorea leave the port hourly and take thirty minutes; it is the easiest and most rewarding trip out. Domestic flights reach Bora Bora and the Tuamotus from Faa'a, five kilometres out. From Paris, allow twenty-two hours with one stop.
Where to eat
Raw fish in coconut milk — ia ota — is the national dish: tuna, lime, cucumber, pressed coconut. Uru, breadfruit, replaces the potato. Po'e, a fruit dessert set with manioc starch, is eaten with coconut milk. The roulottes on Place Vaiete set up each evening on the waterfront and serve fish, grills and crêpes at far more reasonable prices than the restaurants.
Good to know
The Pacific franc is the currency, pegged to the euro at a fixed rate — but euros do not circulate. Everything is expensive: Polynesia imports almost everything, and a restaurant meal costs more than in Paris. One site is free. Black pearls are sold everywhere and prices vary enormously: compare before buying. On Sundays the town stops completely, food shops included.
Where to Stay in Papeete
Top Activities in Papeete
viewpointMont Orohena
Free
landmarkCathédrale Notre-Dame de Papeete
landmarkPapeete Tahiti Temple
landmarkPhare de la Pointe Vénus
viewpointAora’i
Free
viewpointPitohiti
Free
BANQUE SOCREDO siège
Parc Vairai
museumMusée James Norman Hall
Bâtiment Tetuna’e
Niupay Pay By Phone
Belvédère du Tahara'a
Free
VIDAUX
site de plongée
Bibliothèque universitaire de l'UPF
Les Jardins de Pā'ōfa'i
Marché Municipal Mapuru a Paraita
Parc Vaipoopoo
Free
Parc public de la digue
Free
TAAPUNA
Free
Fare Hei
Diadem Mountain
Free
Banque de Tahiti
Le Pic Rouge
Free