Our guide to the beaches of Tahiti

I’m back at the keyboard, taking advantage of my holiday in Canada to write another Polynesian article. Today I’d like to talk about the beaches of Tahiti. Although much less famous (and rightly so) than the beaches of Moorea, Bora Bora or other islands, Tahiti does have some beautiful beaches, and we’ve clearly covered them all in the 6 years we’ve lived here! So here’s a quick guide to the different beaches on the island, which we hope will help you!

Although few tourists choose to spend time on the island, there are many things to do and see in Tahiti. The main ones include trekking inland, discovering the Teahupoo wave, crossing the island via the Papenoo valley (by 4×4) and even whale watching in season!

For ease of reference, I’ll start with the beaches along the west coast, from Papeete onwards. By the way, if you’re passing through, a visit to the market in Papeete is a must!

It’s on this side of the island that you’ll find the white sandy beaches, although there aren’t many in Tahiti. It’s also worth noting that this is where the sun sets! Finally, this coast has many more coral reefs and the beaches are generally quieter than those on the east coast.

This is the first small beach you’ll come across as you leave Papeete. Although it’s not really a natural beach, as it’s in a park, it’s a pleasant place to be. The park is spacious and ideal for walking, jogging, picnicking and relaxing with the family. On the seafront, there is a well-protected beach with white sand. It may not be the beach of the century, but it’s close to the city!

Between this beach and the next (PK15) is a very nice place to stay, the Manava Suite Resort Tahiti, now called Te Moana Tahiti Resort. We stayed there for 2 nights and we’ll give you our opinion in a separate article!

Known as ‘PK15’ in reference to the famous ‘Kilometre Point – PK’ which counts the kilometres from the centre of Papeete (PK 0), this was clearly our headquarters and the first real beach close to the city. There is a car park for a few cars (not many), showers are available and the sandy beach faces the sunset. To the right are the overwater bungalows of the former Hôtel Méridien (now closed), which also had a lovely beach.

This beach is very popular with the ‘popa’a’ (islanders), although it’s not my favourite. It’s well laid out with a few places to eat. There aren’t many picnic tables though. The sand is blonde, like that of PK15, and the sunset is also visible here.

If you’re looking for a nice walk, consider the Vaitavere walk, which starts at Punaauia.

This is a small beach of light sand mixed with pebbles, adjacent to Mahana Park, a well-equipped area with showers, toilets, table tennis tables, petanque court, volleyball court, etc. The beach is small, but ideal for getting your feet wet!

One of our favourite beaches on the west coast, similar to PK15 or 18 but more local, less developed and less touristy. Great for sunsets and easy to park!

This is the surfing beach par excellence, famous on the island for its accessibility, even for beginners. It’s considered one of the best places to learn to surf in Tahiti. The beach has black sand, a large car park and a small snack bar. It’s not the ideal place to swim, as the water is quite rough, but it’s worth the detour to watch the local surfers!

I don’t think it’s the most beautiful beach on the island, but we often stopped here to get some fresh air and walk along the seafront. A very large car park makes it easy to get to, and the view over the peninsula is magnificent.

Not far from there, at PK 47.5, on the mountain side, you can imagine a great activity, a tour of the interior of the island of Tahiti on a quad bike. As always, the link above will give you our honest opinion of the trip!

A little further on, at PK49, you’ll also find the Jardin d’Eau de Vaipahi (Vaipahi Water Garden), a lovely, peaceful visit in the forest that’s a change from the usual!

Finally, just before reaching the peninsula, at PK 51, you can also visit the Harrison Smith Botanical Garden, a great way to discover the local flora.

Here’s a charming little beach that we loved taking the kids to. When I say small, I mean tiny: it’s narrow and right next to the road. The setting could be more idyllic, but it’s a lovely white sandy beach with beautiful turquoise water (the barrier reef is offshore, which explains the colour of the water). If you arrive early in the morning, you may be able to enjoy the area in peace and quiet. During the day, especially at weekends, it gets busier. Right next door is the restaurant ‘La Plage de Maui’, which has a lovely view of the lagoon. It’s not the cheapest place, but the food is good (remember to book to make sure you get a table).

When I say Teahupoo Beach, I mean the one at the end, after you cross the wooden bridge at the end of the road. We used to go there for picnics. There’s nothing special to do there except admire the scenery and relax. Watch out for stonefish, which are said to be plentiful in the area.

A few words about the beaches on the east coast. You’ll find mainly grey or black sand beaches, which are more exposed to the elements, such as swell and currents. So be careful as there are few coral reefs on this side of the island and you can feel it.

In my opinion, this is the first real beach you come across as you head east from Papeete. It’s not a beach we visit regularly, but it exists. It’s quiet and good for swimming, with black sand. As the name suggests, the tomb of King Pomare V lies at the back of the beach. There is a car park, so access is easy.

A little anecdote: this was the first beach we went to just after the decontamination in June 2020 after the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s not an exceptional beach, but it’s popular with surfers, with fine black sand and sunken showers. Note that it is on the road.

This beach is named after the hotel next to it, although the name has changed several times. We often came with the family to have a drink at the hotel in the late afternoon and enjoy the pleasant surroundings by the pool overlooking the sea. The beach below, which is not private, can be reached via a small path from the Taharaa roundabout, just before the climb of the same name, on the left, on the seaward side. Although swimming can be a little strenuous at times, this black sand beach is ideal for a stroll and a breath of fresh air. It is generally not very busy.

Although we moved back and forth between Papeete, Arue and Pirae, Pointe Vénus beach was our headquarters for six years. We loved going there after work, in the late afternoon and almost every weekend to get some fresh air and swim with the kids. It’s a quiet place, although it can get quite crowded on weekends. The black sand beach is wide, so you can usually find a quiet spot. Although the water looks ordinary, it’s really beautiful! You can eat on site and there are two snack bars further back. The sunset is a real highlight!

This is a small black sand beach that is popular with kite surfers. Depending on the conditions, the sea can be quite rough, so be careful.

There aren’t many beaches on the east coast, especially between Mahina and the peninsula. Ahonu is a roadside black sand beach with no special features, but it does host some local surfing classes.

Situated near the famous Trou du Souffleur, this black sand beach offers great views of the surrounding area. The beach is small and often not very crowded.

Nothing special here either: a large black sandy beach typical of the east coast of the island, ideal for a stroll. At the end of the beach is the entrance to the Papenoo Valley, an excellent starting point for exploring the interior of the island and discovering some magnificent waterfalls!

Here’s another small black sand beach. This one stands out because there is a park in the background where you can sit and eat under a shelter if it is raining.

I’m going to end this article with this beautiful beach. I’m particularly fond of this place, which gives you the feeling of being almost at the end of the world (or at least at the end of the island!). From the beach you can see the surrounding mountains and the Vaitepiha valley. There are showers, a few tables and a playground/pétanque area.

There you have it, I hope you’ve enjoyed this article on Tahiti’s beaches and that it’s given you a good overview of the spots to discover! If you’re still here, don’t hesitate to let us know which are your favourites and if you know of any other small beaches (I know there are more in theory!). If you’re preparing for your trip, check out our detailed guide to where to stay in Polynesia!

We hope to see you soon,

Written by Sylvain PONS

From 2015 to 2021, French Polynesia was our home, with Mélanie and our children. I'm happy to share my experience and advice to help you organize an unforgettable stay in French Polynesia, based on my in-depth knowledge of the territory.

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