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Tahiti... The New Cythere 
 Around the island
Starting in Papeete, follow us on this tour of the insolite island, which will make you discover another, off the beaten track, Tahiti. For your information: the term "PK" refers to the "points kilometer" markers along the road side, and indicates the distance in kilometers from the center of the City of Papeete.
"Around the island" file
 The East Coast from Papeete
The nearest township after Papeete is Pirae. Its shores feature beautiful black sand beaches and the Aorai Tini Hau Center, built for the 1985 Pacific Arts Festival, another landmark for the Territory's cultural events. On the mountain side, the Fare Rau Hape road brings the visitor to the Belvédère restaurant , over 600m (1,700 ft) high in altitude, where the panoramic view of Papeete and its surroundings is breath-taking, with the island of Moorea in the background. This is the starting point for hikers to climb Mt. Aorai, a sport oriented excursion to over 2000 m (6,500 ft) in altitude, to truly discover the heart of the island.
 We are now entering the township of ARUE. This is the home of the Yacht-Club of Tahiti, located in a beautiful and well sheltered bay. Not far from there, the tomb of King Pomare V , the last King of Tahiti, is a very appreciated stop for history buffs. The City Hall of Arue is worth a visit: classified a few years ago as "France's most beautiful City Hall", it has been recently restored. This mansion, built in the purest colonial style, in the shade of a magnificent tropical garden, is the harmoniously blending home of the township's adminsitrative services.
A little further, the road around the island becomes steeper (PK 7.3) for less than a kilometer to reach the view point of Tahara'a, which, only a few years back, used to be the home of one of the island's most beautiful hotels, now closed. The view is unique down on the bay and on the surrounding mountains. This is one of the best spots in the island for a souvenir photo.
 Coming down fron Tahara'a brings us to the historical township of MAHINA. It is in Matavai Bay, at the foot of the Tahara'a rock, that James Cook landed. It is on the beach of Venus Point that the first Protestant missionaries also landed at the end of the 18th century. Each year on March 5, celebration of this landing brings a great historical reconstitution show. The only lighthouse in Tahiti stand on this historical grounds. The point's black sand beach is very popular with beachgoers, especially on weekends. A little further, the beach at Hiti Mahana Beach Club, a popular spot for windsurfing and flysurfing, features a whole range of nautical activities encouraged by favorable exposure to prevailing winds. Facing the beach, motu Martin is one of the rare islets bordering the Tahiti lagoons. To get there, take the road along the Mahina high school.
A few hundred yards further, on the mountain side, three separate roads (Atima, Mahinarama and Super-Mahina) lead to the heights of Mahina. These are residential districts, but nothing is keeping you from taking a look at the sharp mountains' 'beautiful slopes. All the way up in Mahinarama, the hiking afficionados will tell you how to get to the "Thousand Springs" trail, a fantastic hike amid waterfalls in the center of the island.
A little further is the Orofara leper colony. The former patients, now no longer contagious, spend their time doing handicrafts. A visit will show how this terrible disease has been eradicated. We are now reaching the point where the reef stops. All along the East Coast, to the Peninsula to the South, the coastline is swept by the waves breaking directly on the area's rocky shores appreciated for their preserved authenticity.
 Papenoo is famous for its long surfing beaches and its river, the longest one in Tahiti, leading the visitor to the heart of the island. All along the road, you can stop to admire the boldness and dexterity of the local young surfers. At PK17, the Papenoo river flows into the ocean
 The heart of the island
A trail with a few fords follows the river up to the center of the island. This short expedition requires a 4-wheel drive vehicle to discover several deep valleys with gorgeous waterfalls. Not far from the heart of Tahiti, in the middle of the mountains, the Relais de la Maroto invites you to take a leisurely break. You can even spend the night there, as the lodge has 20 rooms, and do not miss its incredible wine cellar, known all over Polynesia. At the top, a 400-meter (1/4 mile) tunnel brings you on the way to the island's West Coast,  on the heights of Lake Vaihiria, surrounded with wild reeds. The lake is filled with chevrettes (fresh water shrimps) and a picnic stop if fully recommended. Avoid, however, to go in the water because of the swampy bottom. You are now ready to go down to the township of Mataiea, on the opposite side of the island, following the Vaihiria river.
Around the island by the East Coast
After the turnoff for the Papenoo River, the circle island road enters the township of TIAREI. The Blowhole, at PK 22 invites you for a fun stop: the ocean water rushes beneath the road to come out compressed into a powerful and thundering gush at the foot of the sharp cliff. One hundred meters further, on your right is the turnoff for the Faarumai Three Waterfalls, in the Vaipuu Valley. It takes only a five-minte walk to go admire the first of these waterfalls. Nevertheless, it takes a good half hour and hiking boots to reach the other two waterfalls located at the bottom of the valley. But the detour is worth the view: an impressive hike amid luscious and wild nature. The trail is well maintained and the walk can be done without any difficulties.
The following townships of MAHAENA and HITIAA have little tourism interests, except for their preserved authenticity and a charm that is not deprived of nostalgia. A sport oriented hike, however, is recommended to nature lovers. At PK 43 indeed, right after the Fa'atautia River, a steep trail climbs in the mountain. This is the starting point for a visit to the "Lavatubes". These are natural caves in volcanic lava, through which the river has found its way. It is recommended to hire a guide to do this hike. Figure one day to fully enjoy the caves and bring food and drinks as well as small hiking equipment for the climb. It is in HITIAA that French explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville landed in 1768, in a hazardous mooring where he lost 6 anchors.
FAAONE is the last township on the East Coast before reaching the isthmus of TARAVAO. The beauty of the roadside is enhanced by the kindness of the people who live there. Everything is very flowery and the yards around the houses are decorated with lots of well maintained plants. The motu facing the road is being worked on and the nearby underwater scenery is enticingyou to a swimming stop. A sharp turn now makes us leave the seaside as the road crosses the isthmus. At the first intersection, it is recommended to turn left to enter Tahiti iti, which is the small peninsula South on the Island of Tahiti
The Tahiti Iti (Smaller Tahiti) Peninsula
East Coast of the Peninsula
The three following districtst, AFAAHITI, PUEU and TAUTIRA, make up, with FAAONE, the township of Taiarapu Est. The road is very picturesque, as it meanders around peaceful and flowery country side. After some twenty kilometers (about 12 miles), we reach the village of Tautira. A providential stop may be enjoyed at the mouth of the Vaitepiha River. A bridge crosses the river where kids are playing. On the right, a trail for 4x4 vehicles brings you to the heart of the Peninsula. Along this trail, many spots may be found for a picnic, while enjoying the tranquility of the area and its wonderful scenery. The deeper you go toward the inside of the island, the more mystical the atmosphere. The river is full of chevrettes and its banks are home for magnificent vegetation. Many archeological sites (marae, petroglyphs, etc.) bear witness to the presence of a large and well organized population way before the arrival of the first Europeans to this isolated and protected site.
 The village of Tautira remains an authentic village, unlike those driven through all along the circle island road. Since it is the "end of the island", everything is concentrated in one place: stores, houses, churches, sport fields, marae, etc. On the other side of the river, you have to continue on foot... or by canoe. There are many houses around the Peninsula, but most are inaccessible by land. The black sand beach at the entrance of the village is one of the most beautiful in Tahiti. You can swim there without danger, even though there is no reef in that spot. To continue the island tour at this point, you must back track to Taravao before going on to the West Coast.
The Center of the Peninsula
In TARAVAO, Take the inside road to the Plateau. It is Tahiti's true agricultural center. Over hundreds of acres, there is nothing but a variety of cultivated fields, cow farms and other agricultural activities organized in the heart of this "Little Normandy". At the top of the plateau, a vista point offers a unique view on the isthmus with the East and West coasts of Tahiti stretching toward Papeete, over 60 km (36 miles) away, and above all on the mountains in Tahiti's inside. An artificial lake was built about twenty years ago to ensure a drinkable water supply for the township. Great hiking in the area.
 The Peninsula's West Coast
If you follow the Peninsula's road to the West, you get to the districts of TOAHOTU, VAIRAO and TEAHUPOO. White sand beaches and magnificent scenery await you there. Even the islanders will seem different from those in the rest of the island. The local people "go down" to Papeete only once a year... Needless to say, nobody here has been contaminated by the "progress" virus. In Vairao, in the 70's cruise ship France used to dock there. It is indeed the only naturally deep bay in all of Tahiti (25m average depth). Some huge berth bitts remain there today as witnesses of these long gone times. The circle island road comes to an end in Teahupoo, in the middle of flowery gardens. Off shore, for experienced surfing afficionados, the reef offers one of the best spots in the world with gigantic waves in some seasons. The road comes to an end here. Further, is the famous Pari coast, in the heart of the Fenua Aihere untouched and wonderful, only accessible by sea. An excursion for those who like extreme expreriences. Hiring a guide is indispensable. The Vaipoiri grottos and archeological remains await the visitor amid pristine scenery.
Return to Tahiti Nui (Greater Tahiti)
by the West Coast
After Taravao, the road leaves the Peninsula to return to Papeete. For a few kilometers, the road's curves around the large Phaeton Bay let you admire the magnificent scenery. Horseback excursions in the mountains are available here. The first district after Taravao is Papeari home of the Gauguin Museum and the Botanical Garden. The museum includes several rooms dedicated to the life of the famous painter. Only a few of Paul Gauguin's original pieces are seen here, but the visitor will get acquainted with his life in Polynesia, the Polynesia he loved above everything else and helped him to sublimate his art. The Botanical Garden was create early in the 20th century by Harrison Smith, an American adventurer and an ecologist before its time. An impressive collection of tropical specimens are offered to the visitors, under the eyes of two Galapagos tortoises. A mandatory stop, rendered even more enticing by the nearby presence of one of the best gastronomic restaurant, the Gauguin Museum Restaurant.
The next district, Mataiea, offers an amazing vegetation to anyone willing to stop along the road. Seduced by the area, Gauguin lived there for two years before leaving for the Marquesas Islands. At PK 47.6, a trail follows the Vahiria River, leading to the lake with the same name. It is the way to get to the center of the island and to connect to the Papenoo Valley to the North.
 The road around the island gets wider as we go through the largest coastal plain of the island and it opens up on the township of Papara. We now border the surprising domain of Atimaono, home to the Olivier Bréaud International Golf Course. A former cotton and then sugar cane plantation, abandoned for a long time, this domain is a high place of the island's produce production. As to the golf course, it features one of the best courses in the world according to the many foreign golfers who played on its greens. The coastal plain's width made it possible to use the soil more in proportion with the needs of the population. You are welcome to visit the Club House, from where you can go for a few hikes to the nearby mountain.
Near the Papara City Hall, the Shell Museum created on a private initiative, houses thousands of specimens from the Polynesian seas. Pleasant walks along the township's rivers make you discover mysterious valleys. Slightly after the golf course, a large white sand beach, and popular surfing spot, is one of theprivileged meeting place for the city youth. Be aware that swimming is possible, but relatively dangerous because of unexpected currents and stones moved around by the surf, which may cause some painful and durable bruises around the ankles or worse, on the head!
After leaving Papara and its beautiful black sand beaches, you arrive to the Maraa Grottos before reaching PAEA. It is at PK 28.7, behind a well planned parking lot, bordered with well maintained gardens, that the Paroa underwater grotto, the largest grotto opens. The boldest visitors may try a quite revitalizing swim in it. It is said that there are half a dozen adjacent underwater grottos and many legends enchant the place. The gardens show an abundance of local plants pleasantly aligned in the alleys. Across the road, the Papara lagoon, large et rich in fishes, offers a splendid panorama to its admirers. The reef here is about one kilometer away.
As we continue, at PK 22.6, we take the turn off to the Arahurahu Marae one of the most beautiful marae in Polynesia. Each year, in July, its grandiose set-up is the backdrop to a historical reconstitution. Not far from there, the Taata marae, restored in 1973, also deserves a visit and bears witness to a prestigious past.
After leaving Paea, we arrive to the wealthy township of Punaauia, Tahiti's residential area. On the beautiful land of Pointe des Pêcheurs, at PK 14.6, you find the Museum of Tahiti and her Islands, essentially dedicated to Polynesian history and culture. Many remains of the great ma'ohi civilization are on display in large rooms. Specialized exhibits get the visitors acquainted with the ma’ohi culture. After the Museum, you reach a round-about. Two roads are now possible to reach the city. We advise you, of course, to follow the circle island road along the lagoon, which features colorful scenery. The other solution is the island's only "freeway" (also known as the RDO), leading directly to Papeete 9 km further, but with little interest from a tourist's point of view.
It is also in this township that are found Tahiti's major hotels: the Meridien, the Intercontinental Beachcomber, the Sofitel Maeva Beach, but also many alternative ways of lodging. The University of the Pacific was built there some ten years ago on the hills. After a long straight line where the island's largest hypermarket is located, we reach the township of FAAA, Tahiti's most populous. Constant activity is seen on each side of the road. Remember to remain alert to avoid the noisy two-wheelers recklessly taking possession of the road.
 At PK 5.8, we reach the turnoff to the Tahiti-Faaa International Airport, its shops and large buildings contrasting to the modest houses located only a few dozen meters away. Across the airport, on the mountain side, you enter the St Hilaire district and the climb to Mount Marau. One of Tahiti's highest summits and the only one with easy access through a trail built to reach the transmitters for the Post Office and the RFO television station. From up there, the view is breath taking, whether on the lagoon side (to Moorea and Papeete's urban area) or on the inside of the island, with narrow canyons and many waterfalls.
A little further, on the roadside, some booths offer vegetables, fruits and various handicrafts for sale. A typical area to shop at low prices. Manny fishermen also sell their fish on the side. The road continues toward Papeete and passes in fron of the beautiful City Hall of Faaa, pleasantly built according to traditional style, and opens up to the Papeete Waterfront, after passing "Hotel Tahiti", the oldest major hotel of the island, totally rebuilt under the name Sheraton Lagoon Resort.
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