Tahiti packs adventures in both surf and turf.
Though the country of French Polynesia is commonly referred to as The Islands of Tahiti, Tahiti is actually one island—the most populous and home to the country’s capital, Papeete. An eight-hour flight from Los Angeles, this is where international travelers land before dispersing to other islands. But adventure seekers shouldn’t skimp on Tahiti. It is in these waters where you’ll find Teahupoo, the world-famous surf break that hosted the surfing competitions of the Paris 2024 Olympics. After all, French Polynesia is a semi-autonomous French territory.
Advanced surfers can take a private tour with Teahupoo Tahiti Surfari, with over 30 years’ experience navigating these swells. The rest of us can join one of their land and sea excursions to Fenua Aihere, a part of the island accessible only by boat. Because, frankly, that’s how the locals prefer it.
“Land is very sacred to us. We don’t like to unnecessarily break through the land to make roads,” says Marania Teuru, who has visited all 118 islands and now works with Tahiti Tourisme. This reverence for nature is echoed by everyone I encountered: sealife is bountiful but never fished in excess, coral reefs are sacred sights to be seen not touched, and land tours take great effort in leaving no human trace behind.
Related: Welcoming LGBTQ+ Travelers to The Islands of Tahiti
On the Vaiau Adventure Tour with Teahupoo Tahiti Surfari we swam through underwater coral tunnels, hiked through forests to reach a hidden waterfall, and swung off trees where a mountain stream meets the ocean. Along the way, our guide Otilia, quietly thanked the gods every time we encountered the next natural wonder and kissed the rocks as she climbed to the top of the waterfall for her jump into the mountain spring.
Watch: The Wonders of Tahiti on Traveling IQ’s Instagram
And none of this felt performative. It was true admiration for the land she calls home, and, as a visitor, it was an inspiring example of how Polynesians respectfully coexist with nature.
*Read the full article about my travels through French Polynesia, published in GayCities.
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