A Sunday morning stroll through Papeete Market

I’ve now been living in French Polynesia for 4 years, and I have to admit that I have rarely taken the time to visit Papeete Market early on a Sunday morning. The only time I can remember doing so was after returning from a trip to France, when the time difference completely threw me off and left me wide awake in the middle of the night and fast asleep during the day…

You may be wondering why Sunday morning in particular. Quite simply, that’s when the market is at its best. It starts coming to life as early as 4:00 a.m., when all the producers and vendors begin setting up outside the central market. During the week, the market is usually open only inside, under cover….

The atmosphere in the surrounding streets very early on a Sunday morning is completely different, and I highly recommend experiencing it if you’re spending a few days here. I honestly think it’s the one experience you shouldn’t miss in Papeete. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it the most beautiful market in the world, especially if you’ve had the chance to visit others in Asia or Africa. Still, I find it charming, with all its colors, flowers, fruit, vegetables, and, best of all, smiles! Let me tell you all about it, with plenty of market photos along the way.

So I set out at 5:00 a.m., aiming to arrive with the first rays of sunlight at 6 o’clock on the dot. Believe it or not, I’m far from the first person here: plenty of people, including many locals, have already arrived. Polynesians get up very early… life in the tropics follows the sun. I take the time to find a spot near the cathedral, and here I am.

You start soaking up the atmosphere the moment you arrive, watching the vendors set out their goods in the streets in front of the different entrances to the indoor market. Unless I’m mistaken, they simply show up and pay for their space by the meter. Even very early in the morning, people are already browsing the stalls, eager not to miss out on the fresh fruit, vegetables, freshly squeezed juices, Chinese pastries, and more. There’s something for everyone!

After enjoying a tasty croissant or pain au chocolat with a steaming cup of coffee from one of the stalls, I continue my walk toward the many fruit and vegetable stands.

Here in French Polynesia, fruit and vegetables are often sold in bundles or trays. Of course, it’s nothing like shopping at the big supermarkets back home! When you buy from the vendors, you’ll pay something like XPF 500 for a bundle of this or XPF 200 for a tray of that, and that’s really all you need to know…

Even though I’ve been living in the tropics for quite some time, I’m still discovering unfamiliar things, including some rather unusual-looking vegetables. I think that’s really cool!

I love taking in all the beautiful scenes around Papeete Market. In fact, I need to come back several more times to take more pictures, especially in the softer early-morning light, because there’s always more to see.

Stalls surround the market, with vendors selling their homegrown produce, and wandering among them is a lovely way to spend an early morning. There’s so much to choose from: giant beans, breadfruit (“uru”), carrots, mape, eggplant, pota (young leaves), lettuce, and even watermelons and pumpkins!

After making your way around the fruit and vegetable stalls, you can head inside the market, where you’ll immediately find a wide variety of fish and seafood! One piece of advice: just before entering through the main entrance, turn right into a small alley and treat yourself to a delicious glass of freshly pressed sugarcane juice. It’s a typical Polynesian drink, and it takes me right back to the year I spent in Southeast Asia, where we drank it all the time.

This sugarcane juice is so good—don’t miss it!

If you’ve never tried it, you really should—you never know, you might enjoy it as much as I do! It’s a real treat because it isn’t all that common, even in French Polynesia. I know of only a handful of places where you can find sugarcane juice.

One of the things I knew nothing about before arriving in French Polynesia was the mape. Also known as the Tahitian chestnut tree, it grows on almost all the high islands, at the bottom of valleys and along riverbanks. It isn’t native to French Polynesia, but you’ll find its nuts at markets and sold by street vendors in Papeete and around Tahiti, especially on the peninsula! Once cooked, the little nut is quite tasty!

Now it’s time to head back to the fish and shellfish! You can sip your sugarcane juice as you wander among these beautiful displays… You’ll find just about every kind of fish you can imagine, which people here are lucky enough to enjoy: ature (better known as “scad”), parrotfish, grouper, blue and white tuna, red mullet, and more. Depending on the season, you may also find lobster, freshwater prawns, crab, and korori (pearl oyster muscle).

You can finish your walk around the market in the “Pua’a Roti” area, where you’ll find absolutely delicious grilled pork! Don’t worry if pork isn’t really your thing, as there are plenty of other meats and sausages, all with that wonderful smoky, grilled flavor. Personally, I love it. Everything is prepared right in front of you, and you can wander from stall to stall, choosing whatever catches your eye. One little tip: head to the stalls where the Tahitians are lining up!

If you’re here on vacation, you can, of course, finish your visit at one of the many tourist stalls (haha!). I’m sure you’ll be tempted to take home a few souvenirs, such as monoï or a hat.

If, like me, you’re sometimes perfectly happy just sitting and watching the world go by, you’ll really enjoy spending a couple of hours observing the comings and goings of the vendors and their customers. It’s a lovely way to pass the time. I’ll say it once more: if you want to visit Papeete Market on a Sunday morning, come early!

By the way, if you’re looking for a rental car to explore the island paradise of Tahiti, you can check out this site.

For those of you who know Papeete, Tahiti, and its market, do you enjoy spending time there on a Sunday morning? Who knows, maybe we’ll run into each other one day! Finally, if you have a few days to visit the island of Tahiti and discover its turquoise lagoons and white-sand beaches, I also recommend visiting the Vaipahi Water Garden, with its lush tropical vegetation and beautiful nearby waterfalls!

See you soon,

Sylvain

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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