Nine things that will surprise you in paradise’s overlooked capital

Tahiti, French Polynesia’s largest island, is often viewed merely as a gateway to the French overseas territory’s picture-perfect islands such as Mo’orea or Bora Bora. We get it – your ship’s cabin or that overwater bungalow is calling – but don’t be in such a rush to say au revoir to this lively spot. In Papeete, the capital, you’ll find surprises around every corner.

Papeete is an open-air art gallery

Art out in the open in Papeete.

The biggest one is that the city (with a population of 27,000 people and countless chickens) is also an open-air art gallery. Thanks to the Ono’u public art festival that launched in 2014, mesmerising murals have transformed walls both small and tall throughout the city. One of the most beloved works is The Vahine in a Red Tifaifai, a collaboration between French artist Seth and local artist HTJ. This Rue Edouard Ahnne artwork, which has even adorned a postage stamp, shows a sleeping Tahitian girl curled up on a red and white quilt. See tahititourisme.com.au

Picnic at the market

Fresh food in abundance at the Papeete market.

Pull a few Pacific francs from an ATM outside the open-air, two-storey municipal market that sprawls over an entire block of downtown Papeete. About 500,000 people a year flock to the market that’s barely contained by its red-painted full-metal framework. A market has stood on this spot since 1848 (its current design dates from 1928), providing a touchstone for locals and a peek into everyday life for visitors. This is where locals come to gossip, grocery shop and hear the news of the day. Vendors sell everything from fragrant tiare flowers (Tahitian gardenias) and monoi (coconut oil infused with tiare) to vanilla pods, fresh fish, guava pies, lemon cakes, chocolate eclairs and baguettes stuffed with ham and gruyere. You can also find souvenirs: floral pareu (sarongs), beach hats, shell jewellery and woven baskets. The mezzanine level hosts more formal craft stores and cafes dishing out the likes of lasagne with green salad.

Cruise around town

Port perfection ... it’s easy to make the most of a cruise stop in Papeete.

How good is it when a cruise terminal is located right in the centre of a magnifique city? That’s the case with Papeete. With so much to see and do around the port (such as visiting the market mentioned above), maximise the opportunity to sightsee by checking in, offloading your luggage and heading straight back out again – with hat, sunscreen and maybe an umbrella to ward off those tropical rays. Just remember to note your ship’s embarkation cut-off time as cruise ships wait for no one.

Rush hour in paradise

Swap peak-hour chaos for the tranquility of Pa’ofa’i Gardens.Credit: Getty

French Polynesia might sound like a tropical idyll, but wait until you clock Papeete’s rush-hour traffic. Near La Mennais College (home to another incredible piece of street art, VHILS’ portrait of a girl that was created by jack-hammering into a wall), whistle-tooting municipal police conduct a cacophonous symphony of cars and scooters. Streets quieten considerably, though, as soon as school’s in. Remove yourself from peak-hour chaos by strolling the pleasant waterfront Pa’ofa’i Gardens. Covering some five hectares, these gardens (inaugurated in 2010) include palm-shaded walkways, ornamental gardens, fish-imprinted tiles, a giant timber twin-hull canoe, views across Nanuu Bay to neighbouring Mo’orea and a restaurant-bar with an overwater seating area.

Peep at the Presidential Palace

The Presidential Palace.

Stroll past ornamental street lamps and beneath towering century-old rain trees shading Avenue Pouvanaa a Oopa, one of Papeete’s grandest thoroughfares, to reach the Presidential Palace. The controversial two-storey residence, ordered by former five-time president Gaston Flosse, was inaugurated in 2000 and cost almost $US60 million to build. Nearby is a sprawling mural/installation covering the length of a rough stone wall that honours Polynesian involvement in the resolution of both world wars.

Hotel sets the bar

The Hilton’s pool and pool bar.

The 200-room Hilton Hotel Tahiti, which sparkles with fairy-lights at night and is conveniently located between the airport and downtown, will fast-track you straight into holiday mode. Splash down in the pool (Tahiti’s largest), flop into the serpentine in-pool loungers or do some lazy pre- or post-breakfast laps while admiring distant Moorea. The hotel, refurbished in 2021, channels a modern Polynesian vibe at every turn - from the open-air, high-ceilinged lobby to the dramatic nature motifs popping in the neutral-toned guestrooms. The breakfast buffet is international with tropical fruits, chow mein and miso on offer. See hilton.com

Take a load off

After pounding the steamy rues and avenues, find respite and a surprising oasis of calm in the almost secret gardens behind the French Polynesia Assembly. These gardens, redesigned in 2013 and renamed Tarahoi i Vaiete, include a fish-filled freshwater pool where Queen Pomare IV once bathed and a botanical trail lush with Tahitian chestnuts, island walnut, beach gardenia, giant swamp taro and more.

Say amen

Papeete’s late 19th-century church.Credit: Getty

The red and white milestones dotted along Tahitian road verges all measure distance from the Notre Dame Cathedral in downtown Papeete. While the sunshine-yellow ground-zero cathedral, inaugurated in 1875, is far more modest than its Parisian namesake, its Polynesian delights include a full-sized carved Madonna and Child, with the baby cradling breadfruit.

Chase waterfalls

Vallee Papenoo Maroto waterfall.

Want to blow off the big smoke and immerse yourself in Tahiti’s lush and rugged interior? Squeeze in a half-day tour that leads you out of town to the Tahara’a lookout (with fabulous views back towards Papeete and over pretty, scalloped bays) before diving into the jungle-clad Papeno’o Valley to chase waterfalls. Marama Tours’ 4x4 half-day mountain safari for two to four people costs 42,000 francs (about $580). See maramatours.com

One more thing

Surfing, which made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games, will return for the Paris 2024 Games, in Tahiti. Over four days during a 10-day window (July 27-August 8), global attention will be on Teahupo’o, a village 70 kilometres from Papeete on Tahiti’s south-western coast that’s home to one of the world’s most famous waves. Papeete’s Pa’ofa’i Gardens is one of multiple spots that will broadcast the action on giant screens. See olympics.com

The writer visited Papeete as a guest of Norwegian Cruise Line. See ncl.com