Where to go in French Polynesia

The Marquesas

The tiny archipelago of the Marquesas, known as Henua Enata - 'Land of Men' - is some 1,400 kilometres north-east of Tahiti. Despite being the most remote part of French Polynesia, it has attracted many artists, explorers and writers over the years, including Thor Heyerdahl, Jack London, Robert Lo…

Huahine

The green islands of Huahine‚ Huahine Nui and Huahine Iti are surrounded almost entirely by a protective reef, which creates a calm lagoon around them. Separated by a hair's breadth, the two islands have sheltered interiors - wild worlds of blossoming plants and rugged landscapes that remain largel…

Taha'a

Known as the ‘Vanilla Island' and shaped like a flower, Taha'a sits to the east of Bora Bora and is just across the water from its nearest and larger neighbour, Ra'iatea.

Moorea

The so-called ‘Magical Island', Mo'orea is just ten or so miles to the west of Tahiti and easy to get to either by small plane or high-speed catamaran.

Bora Bora

When Captain Cook first discovered Bora Bora in 1769, he named it the ‘pearl of the Pacific'. Nearly 250 years later and it remains the archetypal image of a tropical paradise, from the top of its highest point, Mount Otemanu, to the bottom of the reefs that hide its flawless black pearls.

Tahiti

Tahiti is the largest island and the gateway to all other islands. It rises sharply from the ocean, defined by jagged peaks, thick rainforest and distinctive black-sand beaches.