Five Archipelagos and One Polynesian Spirit
French Polynesia is an overseas collectivity of France in the South Pacific, known for lagoons, overwater bungalows, black pearls and living Polynesian culture. It comprises 118 islands and atolls in five archipelagos: the Society Islands, Tuamotus, Marquesas, Gambiers and Australs. Tahiti, in the Society Islands, is the largest island, and Papeete its capital and main gateway. Bora-Bora and Moorea are world-famous for lagoons in colours ranging from jade to deep sapphire, set beneath dramatic volcanic peaks.
Culture is vivid and proud. Tahitian dance, with its swaying hip movements and thundering drums, is celebrated at the Heiva i Tahiti festival each July, and traditional tattooing, tiare flower garlands and outrigger canoe racing are part of everyday life. Cuisine brings together French technique and Polynesian ingredients: poisson cru, raw tuna in coconut milk and lime, is the signature dish, and vanilla from Taha'a and black pearls from the Tuamotus are famed exports.
Moorea, Bora-Bora and the Tuamotus
Island variety is the great pleasure. Bora-Bora is the glamour name, with overwater villas ringed by a lagoon and Mount Otemanu above. Moorea, a short ferry from Papeete, offers hiking, pineapple fields and dolphin watching. The Tuamotus, including Rangiroa and Fakarava, are coral atolls with some of the Pacific's finest diving, while the Marquesas, with their dramatic ridges and archaeological sites, appeal to adventurous travellers and followers of Gauguin and Jacques Brel.
Stays range from family guesthouses to some of the Pacific's most recognised resorts, giving a hotel group or cruise operator plenty to promote. Visitors often combine Tahiti with a week in the Cook Islands or Fiji, and some link a West Coast stopover or a stay in Hawaii on the way from the UK. Sailing and small-ship cruises thread the islands together in a way that suits honeymooners and families alike.
Read the full French Polynesia guide on Visit Travel Group, or see FrenchPolynesia.co.uk on Visit Travel Group.