Tahiti

The largest island in French Polynesia and the one everybody flies into, which is also why most people leave it within a day. That is a mistake made on bad information: Tahiti Iti, the smaller lobe in the south-east, has black sand beaches, the Teahupo'o reef break, and almost no visitors.

What Tahiti does not have is the lagoon. The reef runs close to shore and the beaches are volcanic black or dark grey, not white. If the picture in your head is an overwater bungalow over pale sand, that is Bora Bora or Moorea, and Tahiti is the airport you pass through on the way.

Getting there

Faa'a (PPT) takes every international flight into French Polynesia, so every trip to the territory passes through here. A coastal road rings the island.

Entry

French Polynesia is a French overseas collectivity. French and EU citizens need no visa, and many other nationalities are exempt for tourist stays under three months. A valid passport is required in every case; check the French visa site for a specific nationality.