Things to Do in Punaauia

Final resting place of the last Tahitian monarch, a simple but evocative stone mausoleum in a patch of grass beside the main road. Concrete benches give you a place to sit and watch the lagoon across the street.

🕐 Open 24 hours

💡 Go around 4pm when the tour buses have left. Bring mosquito repellent—they come out suddenly near the brackish water.

Sea swell forces water through a lava tube and it spouts a few metres up. Not always active—depends on the swell. Small viewing platform with interpretive signs about the geology.

🕐 Open 24 hours

💡 Check the swell forecast for 'Tahiti north coast'—anything above 1.5m works best. Stand back 3 metres; unexpected waves can soak you. Can get slippery.

Local beach with black volcanic sand and calm lagoon water. No lifeguards, but shallow for a good 50 metres out. There's a shaded picnic area with tables under purau trees.

🕐 Dawn to dusk

💡 Best on weekday mornings before 10am. The weekend crowd brings music and barbecues. Park on the street, not the sandy verge—local gendarmes ticket.

Covered market with small produce stalls and a separate craft area. Mostly fruit, some fresh tuna, and vanilla. Nothing staged for tourists—this is where locals shop for weekend meals.

🕐 Mon-Sat 5am-12pm

💡 Saturday 6-9am has the best selection. Skip the shell necklaces here; they're 30% cheaper at the roadside stalls on Route de ceinture.

Pull-off viewpoint overlooking the Te Pari coast and Moorea across the channel. There's a concrete wall to lean on and a small parking area. No facilities, just the view.

🕐 Open 24 hours

💡 Come at dawn when the light hits Moorea's peaks. The last 20 metres of the path is uneven coral rock—not great in flip-flops.