Tahiti with Kids: Basking in Island Love

We thoroughly enjoyed our time on Tahiti with kids. The island reminded us strongly of the thrilling fun we had exploring the Hawaiian Islands.

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Map of Tahiti

Tahiti is a large island, but not so large that you can’t drive around it in a day. If you wanted to circle the main island, it’ll take you about 2-3 hours to drive it without stops. That means day trips to just about anywhere is possible and means you can stay practically anywhere.

We’ll use a color-coding system to talk about each destination, starting in the upper-lefthand corner:

Blue: Fa’a’ā, where the airport and the Intercontinental Tahiti are located
Red: Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia
Orange: Māhina, a city with a historic lighthouse
Purple: Cascades de Faarumai, where you’ll find incredible waterfalls

Perhaps most obviously, we didn’t yet get a chance to explore the whole island. That gives us a chance to explore more the next time we are in town. The itinerary below took between four and five hours in total.

Fa’a’ā

We’ve talked about the airport in quite some detail already, so we won’t rehash it here. Instead, we’d just direct you to that post in the event you do need some guidance around the airport. If you’re arriving to the island by air, you’ll pass through this airport. There are a few options to stay in the area, but we enjoyed our stay at the Intercontinental Tahiti, a very short drive away from the airport.

In terms of sightseeing, there’s not much to see here.

Papeete

Présidence de la Polynésie française

First up in the capital is the presidential palace. It’s forbidden to walk farther onto the premises beyond a clearing by the trees. As you might expect by the name, it’s an integral building to French Polynesia, so be sure to pay proper respects. Elections occur every five years to help shape the future of the country.

One bit of trivia to note is the seal that appears on many buildings and its flag. The ship with people on it might remind you of the Wayfinders from Disney’s Moana. Well, that’s because it is one and the same. French Polynesia is home to Moana, and you’ll see plenty of inspiration everywhere.

Check out the murals around town

While you’re around town, you’re sure to run into so many different murals on the side of buildings. Each piece is visually stunning, and quite impressive given their size.

I like how we just wander around town and another piece just jumps out at us from around the corner.

There are many more murals than the ones we’ve called out here, and it’s quite easy to accidentally stumble across more. We’ve seen street art in other cities, but the art in Papeete is tops in our books.

Papeete Market

Want a place to pick up some souvenirs or get some food? The Papeete Market is worth a visit. On weekdays, the market is open until mid-afternoon, but closes very early on Sundays. If you’re driving a vehicle, you’re warned that it can be a bit tough to find a parking spot nearby.

The entrance to the market is just through the red and white gates. It’s a popular place in the city, but we didn’t find it too crowded when we were there.

The market is two stories tall, with plenty of local clothing, pieces of art, jewelry, and produce. There are a couple of quick-service restaurants inside here too, which is helpful if you’re looking for a place to grab a quick bite.

While some vendors accept credit card (with a minimum purchase or a fee), cash is still king in the market. Should you need any cash, there is an ATM immediately outside the market.

Cruise and ferry terminal

Also in town is the cruise and ferry terminal. It’s a very short walk away from the Papeete Market, towards the water. If you’re arriving in a cruise ship, being right in the middle of the city without needing transportation is awesome. The ferry terminal is also the cheapest way to get to nearby Moorea.

If you’re looking for a taxi, I believe the nearest stand is right by the only Burger King on the island. (As an aside, I think it’s cute that Burger King is immediately adjacent to Pizza Queen–quite the royal couple.) And in case you’re wondering, there are four McDonald’s on the island and all are much more popular than Burger King.

Pā’ōfa’i Gardens

Around the corner from the cruise and ferry terminal are the Pā’ōfa’i Gardens, which is a nice place to take a stroll. Another good thing about this area is that it’s home to a large playground structure, in case the kids need a place to blow off some steam. It’s important when you’re exploring a place like Tahiti with kids that you know where to go for some playground time.

Māhina

Pointe Vénus

At the tip of Māhina is Pointe Vénus. There is a small parking lot and a boat launch, with a small walking path around the tip.

If you’re adventurous and comfortable swimming out in the open ocean on your own, there is a path here that shows off its underwater ecosystem. However, you should only do it if you’re skilled enough as a swimmer and don’t deviate off the path as the currents can get strong. We didn’t try it.

Hidden by the docks are plenty of fish. It’s hard to see them as they tend to hide in the shadows.

Zooming in, it becomes more apparent that there are large schools of fish. Look at all that orange.

Also at the tip is a large black sand beach. Informally, about 80% of the beaches on Tahiti are black sand beaches. This one has plenty of soft sand that makes it pretty comfortable to just relax. There are a number of stray dogs hanging out here, but the dogs didn’t bother us.

Char wanted to model off how much she enjoyed the black sand since she doesn’t get to play with any back at home.

HMS Bounty Memorial

You might be familiar with the Mutiny on the Bounty, which is where the crew seized their ship (HMS Bounty) and sent their captain packing. The crew ultimately considered Tahiti to be their home, and this memorial serves as a reminder of the incident that happened here more than 200 years ago.

There are several films dedicated to the incident, though the 1962 film depicted the beach as being a white sand beach. As you can see from the pictures above, the beach here is most definitely not white sand. While the film studio did perform at least some shots on site, they trucked in plenty of white sand to cover up the black sand.

Phare de la Pointe Vénus

The Point Venus Lighthouse is the only lighthouse on the island. It was created in the the year 1867 (hence the numbering on the side of the lighthouse), and lit for the first time on January 1, 1868. There are plans to restore it, but it’s still used in limited capacity today.

At the base of the lighthouse is a large blue star, which seemed to encourage the kids to stand right atop it.

Église Getesemane de Mahina

I’m sure there is a better reason to visit this pink church, but the kids (especially Char) loved the color scheme. It stands out quite a bit from the rest of the buildings in the area. If you’re driving from the main road down to Point Venus, you’re sure to pass by this church and see it in all its pink glory.

Le Tahiti by Pearl Resorts

I only bring this particular hotel up because it ends up being a rather popular hotel choice for visitors to Tahiti. It’s billed as one of the only hotels on the island that has a beach. But before you go and book your stay here, consider two things:

It’s far out of town. Most of the action takes place in Papeete, and this hotel is most definitely not in walking distance. Be prepared for a drive to everywhere if you choose to stay here.
The beach isn’t one where you can simply wade into the water from shore.

We can’t say anything about the quality of the sleep as we haven’t stayed here. As with anything, do your research to know what you’re getting into before you book your stay. Don’t choose something just because it’s a popular option.

Cascades de Faarumai

The waterfalls

If you’re driving here, there is a small parking lot all the way down the end of the road. It might not be apparent where to go at first, but you’ll more than likely find some locals selling goods along the way. Don’t be afraid to ask them questions on how to get to the waterfalls.

Importantly, you’ll want to bring some towels with you. Not because of swimming in the waters (which isn’t allowed), but because the mist generated from the walls will get you wet. On top of that, this side of the island gets significantly more rain than the western side.

When you arrive, just head over the bridge and admire all the greenery around you.

Surprisingly, we didn’t encounter any problems with bugs over here. With all the greenery, we would have thought we’d get bitten at some point, but all of us came away unscathed (unlike our time on Bora Bora).

Once across the bridge, you’ll find some directions that will lead you to the three waterfalls in the area.

We only had time to visit Vaimahuta, which is one of the most picturesque waterfalls you’ll find. We first stopped to take a photo before getting closer.

And then once there, we were in awe of the sheer power of the waterfall. While we kept our distance, we got soaked and that towel came in handy. We loved just standing here and listening to the roar of the waterfall. Pure awesomeness.

On the way out, you might see some bamboo and local plants. The vegetation on the island was something that Jenn and I could admire far longer than the kids could.

Arahoho Blowhole

While you’re here, you might get a chance to spy on the Arahoho Blowhole. The problem is that the viewing area might be temporarily closed, which was the case when we were there. Instead, the closest we could get was seeing the surrounding greenery. Ah well, at least we tried!

Other notes for exploring Tahiti with kids

You might want to consider doing a 4×4 tour of the center of the island. The only way to get to the center is on a 4×4 due to flooding. We hear it’s magnificent in the center of the island and would love to try it next time.
July to November is humpback whale season. Unlike the whales we know in Hawaii and Alaska, these whales come from the Antarctic. We swore off wanting to take another whale watching cruise, but the format here is intriguing. The tours will take you on a boat to where the whales are playing, then you jump in the water with them. There are more options on Tahiti than there are on Moorea.

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