"If there is still a paradise, this is it": Journey to Tahiti and the Society Islands

TahitiFrom the airplane window, shortly before landing in Papeete, Tahiti, you can already make out some of the islets that make up the Society Islands archipelago. It is one of the five island groups that make up French Polynesia, a French overseas territory. As soon as you step into Faa'a International Airport, you receive your first taste of Polynesian hospitality: travelers are welcomed to the rhythm of ukuleles and presented with tiare necklaces (Gardenia tahitensis), an aromatic flower that has also been used for medicinal purposes for over two thousand years.

Many bohemians, writers, and painters have found refuge in these parts of the world. On my last trip, I met Stephen Bennett, a great American portraitist who spent long periods in Polynesia because his father, now deceased, had worked as a hotel manager for one of the major hotel chains. "If my father could see Tahiti today, he would turn around and go straight back to heaven," Stephen said. "Too many people, too much noise, and too much pollution. So where would he go? To the outer islands, to the Society Islands or the Tuamotus. If there is still paradise, it is there," he added. I think his father and I would have understood each other very well. I have been to Polynesia several times, exploring it leisurely for weeks, both on luxury cruises and cargo ships. On this last trip, I became fully aware that these paradise islands are threatened by both cultural loss and global climate change.

Papeete, the capital and largest city of French Polynesia

With just over 25,000 inhabitants, Papeete is a dynamic and vibrant city, full of shops, restaurants, and hotels. Every night, when the gentle breeze replaces the heat of the day, it transforms into a lively nightlife center. The popular Queen Pomadre IV Boulevard is its main axis, a vibrant avenue at any time of day. Just behind it, we find a quaint market selling flowers, fish, fruits, vegetables, handicrafts, and more. pareos brightly colored, coconut soaps, and, of course, the famous Tahitian vanilla, known for its aniseed aroma. Vanilla – from the orchid Vanilla planifolia– It was introduced from Mexico in 1848, when a French admiral realized that the islands' tropical climate was ideal for its cultivation in large quantities. Dozens of shops sell necklaces, bracelets, and all kinds of jewelry made from the mother-of-pearl spheres produced by the oyster. Pinctada margaritifera. The uniqueness of Tahitian pearls is their dark, almost black hue, with reflections of colors as varied as cream, cherry, green, blue, gray, and white, shades that seem to emulate the image of the lagoons in which they are grown. Vanilla and pearls are the only genuine souvenir from these islands. There is another, more creative one that has also spread throughout the rest of the world: the tattoo. According to legend, it was Mata Mata Arahu and Tu Ra'i Po, children of the god Ta'aroa, who taught humans the art of tattooing. tattooBefore being banned by European missionaries in 1819, tattooing was a mark of identity and status. Today, the practice has resurfaced strongly, and in Papeete, there are several studios where visitors can have a 100% Polynesian souvenir tattooed on their skin.

When evening falls, mobile restaurants are set up near the port where you can taste typical dishes such as roti pua'a, a sweet roast pork that Tahitians often eat on Sundays. The rest of the island retains a much wilder environment. The most practical way to explore the island is to rent a car and drive along the main road, which borders the island and takes you to surprising sites such as Papenoo Falls and Venus Point Lighthouse, two of the most famous scenic spots. Or, explore the Faarumai Valley to see three spectacular waterfalls, easily accessible on foot: Vaimahuta, 80m high; Haamaremare Rahi, 100m high; and Haamaremare Iti, 40m high. All three are about a thirty-minute walk from the first waterfall.

At the other end of the island is Teahupo'o Beach, which hosted the surfing events for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Here, one of the world's most powerful waves breaks, reaching heights of over ten meters. A challenge worthy of Olympic surfers.

Huahine, one of the most unknown islands

A three-and-a-half-hour ferry ride separates Papeete from Fare, the most populated town on Huahine. Its daily life is nothing like the hectic life of Papeete, as only 6,000 people live there and it receives very few visitors. Only a few houses dot the landscape overlooking the crystal-clear bay, preserved until now by luxury hotels and bungalows lined up over the water. Its nickname alludes to this image of paradise: the Garden of Eden, so named for the fertility of its lands and also for its sacred mountain, which resembles the body of a pregnant woman in a reclining position. Ancestors, spirits, and the forces of nature have a strong presence in the archaeological site of Maeva, where the remains of up to thirty ceremonial spaces are found, the oldest of which dates back to the 16th century. The lakes are also home to the island. These animals are said to be divine guardians who protect the inhabitants of Huahine and who have a special bond with the gods, as they are the reincarnation of the powerful Hiro.

The villagers revere them and perform ceremonies in their honor; it is said that those who pay their respect will be protected, have good health, and enjoy infinite luck. Huahine offers more earthly attractions, such as its white-sand beaches and the botanical gardens of Aijura Garden Paradise, filled with Polynesian medicinal plants, or the Eden Park, with trees from around the world and where you can enjoy tropical fruit juices and smoothies. Early Europeans called it the rebel island for its fierce warriors and its resistance to the ways of the colonizers. Perhaps for this reason, today Huahine is one of the lesser-known islands in society, still offering the opportunity to experience cultural peculiarities, such as the fact that women still adorn their hair with wreaths of frangipani or plumeria flowers, another of the island's fragrant species, along with hibiscus and tiare.

Taha'a, the vanilla island

Every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, a ferry departs from Huhaine for Taha'a. It's one of those islands you always return to. One reason for this is the fascinating islets that emerge from its emerald lagoon: Tautau, Mahana, Tehutu, and Atger. These spots are perfect for swimming among humphead wrasse with simple goggles and fins, for diving outside the reef, and for observing sharks and various types of coral. The best views of Taha'a, however, are from the highest point, climbing either of the island's two mountains: Ohiri at 590 m and Puurauti at 550 m.

Taha'a is known as Vanilla Island because almost 80% of all vanilla in French Polynesia grows there. It's worth taking a guided tour of one of its plantations to learn why chefs from around the world flavor their dishes with this vanilla, which can fetch more than €3,000 per kilo. The island is also famous for its rum distilleries and, of course, its pristine beaches, connected by a circular paved road. However, our tour wouldn't be complete without a visit to a pearl farm. These farms, located right on the seafront, are thatched-roof huts where artisans sort the pearls according to their shape, size, and luster. Painstaking work explains the price tag.

Bora Bora, a destination happy

Dolphins leap onto the bow of the boat that takes us to Bora Bora in just one hour. When a person approaches this island, whether by sea or by air—a fifty-minute flight from Tahiti—the first thing that catches their attention from afar is the basalt obelisk of Otemanu (727 m). It is the remains of an extinct volcano: a natural sculpture that rises majestically above an island of intense emerald green. This hue contrasts with the turquoise of the lagoon, with shallow waters where manta rays and small sharks can be found. Dives in the outer reef allow one to observe the yellow-backed shark, as well as dense earwax from jack mackerels. Bora Bora's rugged profile, along with its spectacular lagoon and its small size, make it one of the most beautiful—and mythological—islands in Polynesia, as well as a popular vacation destination for several rock and Hollywood stars.

A good way to explore the island is by bicycle, as there is almost no elevation change. You can also get off the beaten track and visit the white-sand beach of Matira or hike Mount Otemanu, whose silhouette stands out on the island's horizon. One of the attractions of this area is the hibiscus flowers, which change color three times a day. In the Povai Valley, another fascinating spot, you can walk among 400 species of ferns, avocado trees, and pua-lulu trees, trees with yellow trumpet-shaped flowers whose wood is used to cut tiquis, sculptures depicting gods, ancestors, and forces of nature.

Rangiroa, the second largest atoll in the world

The most unique thing about Rangiroa isn't the color of its waters, but the wealth of marine life that swims among the islets that make up the atoll, both inside and outside the reef. Jacques Cousteau said it was the best diving site in the world. And he wasn't exaggerating: in that immense natural aquarium of 1,640 square kilometers,² And on more than 200 islets, you can observe various types of coral, manta rays, dolphins and sharks of different species, turtles, and schools of butterfly fish. Out of the water, Rangiroa offers dreamy spaces, such as the pink-sanded Sables Roses beach.

Fakarava, Biosphere Reserve

Three days a week, there are direct flights connecting Rangiroa with Fakarava in just 45 minutes. UNESCO declared this island a Biosphere Reserve in 2007, and today, scuba diving enthusiasts from around the world come to swim alongside grey and lemon sharks, turtles, and barracudas on dives that can reach depths of 30 m and even 40 m in channels like Tetaman.

A single, winding sandy road runs through this 16 km² atoll, allowing you to reach its attractions by bicycle. This includes the Topaka Lighthouse, built with coral blocks, which is the tallest building on the island and looks more like a stylized Mayan pyramid than a lighthouse. Topaka is an excellent place to watch the sunset, although, in reality, any small bar or restaurant along the shore is suitable. Most islanders work in pearl farming, a sustainable activity, in accordance with its Biosphere Reserve status. Pearl trading and tourist accommodations are the main activities in the small village of Tetamanu, which is home to the oldest Catholic Church in French Polynesia, founded in 1874. At the northern tip of the island is Tainoka Marae, the remains of an ancient ceremonial center that guards the fascinating entrance to the Fakarava Lagoon three hundred years ago. At that time, any vessel wishing to enter the lagoon had to announce itself with a distinctive war chant, and if they didn't know what was going on, their sailors were mercilessly thrown to the sharks or tortured and then thrown back into the sea. Unlike their ancestors, Tahitians today, regardless of the archipelago, are brimming with kindness, which increases the desire to stay for weeks on end on these islands of light and coral in the mythical South Seas.