French Polynesia
118 islands in five archipelagos: Tahiti and Papeete, the bays of Moorea, Bora Bora's lagoon and the remote atolls and Marquesas beyond.
French Polynesia is a French overseas collectivity of 118 islands spread across five archipelagos in the South Pacific: the Society Islands, the Tuamotu, the Marquesas, the Austral Islands and the Gambier.
Tahiti
The largest island and the arrival point. Papeete, the capital, has a busy two-floor market where fruit, fish and flowers sit below crafts, pareos and pearls, and Sunday at dawn is its liveliest moment.
Moorea
Tahiti's sister island, about 17 km across the channel. Two deep bays, Cook's Bay and Opunohu Bay, cut into its mountains, and the Belvedere lookout sits above them.
Bora Bora
A turquoise lagoon ringed by small, palm-covered motu, with Mount Otemanu (727 m) rising in the middle. It's often called the Pearl of the Pacific.
Beyond the Society Islands
The Tuamotu are low coral atolls, such as Rangiroa, Fakarava and Tikehau. The Marquesas are rugged, without lagoons, and were listed by UNESCO in 2024. The Austral Islands include Rurutu, where humpback whales come between July and November.
Good to know
- Languages: French (official); Tahitian is widely spoken
- Currency: CFP franc (XPF), fixed to the euro
- Time: UTC−10 on Tahiti (the Marquesas are 30 minutes ahead)
- Electricity: 220 V, French plugs. Bring an adaptor
- Best time to go: the drier months, May to October. The wet and cyclone season runs from November to April
