The Best Beaches
in French Polynesia —
Our Top 13

Pearl Beach — our favourite black-sand beach in Tahiti

This is the black-sand beach we recommend in Tahiti. Right in front of the Pearl Beach Tahiti hotel, a few minutes from Papeete, it offers a lovely black-sand bay, calm water for swimming and, above all, far fewer people than the island's better-known beaches. In our view, it's the most beautiful black-sand beach in Tahiti.

It's easy to reach, which makes it the perfect choice for a quiet swim if you're staying in Papeete or have a few hours between flights. At sunset, the light on the black sand is superb.

The black-sand beach at Pearl Beach — our favourite in Tahiti, beautiful and rarely crowded.

Point Venus Beach — black sand and a historic lighthouse

About fifteen minutes from Papeete, Point Venus is Tahiti's most iconic beach. A long strip of black sand, coconut palms, and the white lighthouse standing over the point. This is where James Cook observed the transit of Venus across the sun in 1769 — hence the name. The site is both historic and very lively: at weekends, Tahitian families gather here for picnics and a swim.

It gets very busy at weekends: come on a weekday or early in the morning. Parking, picnic area and small snack bars on site.

Point Venus beach in Mahina — black sand, coconut palms and the historic lighthouse.

PK18 public beach — the best white-sand beach in Tahiti

On the west coast, at kilometre marker 18, the Punaauia public beach is our answer whenever we're asked where to find white sand in Tahiti. The lagoon is calm, you can snorkel straight from the shore, and the view of Moorea at sunset is superb. It's a very local spot, with a promenade and food trucks (roulottes) right next to it.

Our tip: come in the late afternoon, swim as the light softens, then stay for the sunset over Moorea.

The PK18 public beach in Punaauia — white sand, a calm lagoon and a view of Moorea.

Taharuu Beach — black sand and surf on the south coast

Far from the turquoise-lagoon clichés, Taharuu Beach in Papara shows another side of Polynesian beauty: raw, wild power. The sand is black, born from volcanic rock, and contrasts with the white foam of the waves. It's a favourite with surfers — the waves break right in front of the beach. Framed by coconut palms and green mountains, Taharuu captures the essence of Tahiti: wild, vibrant, majestic.

It's also one of the best photo spots on the island, especially at sunset with surfers in action. Careful: swimming can be dangerous when the swell is strong.

Taharuu Beach in Papara — black sand, waves and coconut palms on Tahiti's south coast.

Tautira & Teahupo'o — the wild beaches of the peninsula

On the Tahiti Iti peninsula, the road stops at the end of the world. In Tautira, on the east side, a long black-sand beach stretches at the foot of jungle-covered mountains, with no hotels and no crowds. In Teahupo'o, on the south side, you're in the village of the legendary wave of the 2024 Olympic Games: you come for the end-of-the-road atmosphere, the lagoon views and the wave in the distance.

These aren't postcard swimming beaches, but they are two of the most authentic places in Tahiti. Combine them on a day trip around the peninsula.

Tautira's black-sand beach, at the end of the road on the Tahiti peninsula.

Ta'ahiamanu Beach — the public beach of Opunohu Bay

Tucked into Opunohu Bay, Ta'ahiamanu Beach is a real gem. Surrounded by green mountains, it blends the blue of the lagoon, the green of the peaks and golden sand lined with shady trees. The water is very clear, perfect for snorkeling: colourful fish and sometimes turtles, just a few metres from the shore.

It's a calm, family-friendly beach that never feels crowded. In the morning and late afternoon, the light on the mountains is sublime for photos.

Ta'ahiamanu Beach, at the head of Opunohu Bay — calm lagoon and Moorea's mountains.

Tiahura public beach — snorkeling facing the motus

In north-west Moorea, the Tiahura area faces the lagoon's motus. The water is shallow and turquoise, and the snorkeling is among the best on the island, with coral gardens you can reach from the beach. It's also the sunset side: in the evening, the sky lights up behind the motus.

Our tip: bring a mask and snorkel at the end of the day, explore the lagoon, then stay for the sunset.

The Tiahura lagoon and its motus, in north-west Moorea.

Temae Beach — white sand and a view of Tahiti

Near the airport, Temae is one of Moorea's most beautiful white-sand beaches. The lagoon takes on incredible shades of turquoise and, across the water, you can see Tahiti. Public access is via a small path, and you'll mostly meet locals here.

It's the perfect beach for a swim when you arrive on the ferry or before catching your flight. The water is often calmest in the morning.

Temae Beach — white sand and turquoise lagoon in north-east Moorea.

Matira Beach — Bora Bora's postcard

Matira is French Polynesia's living postcard. White sand stretching gently, a sea in a thousand shades of blue, and Mount Otemanu in the distance. It's the only large public beach in Bora Bora, reachable on foot or by bike, with a shallow lagoon where you can wade far out into the water.

The sunset here is magical: the sky turns orange and pink, reflected on the water like a watercolour. Bars and restaurants are within walking distance.

Matira Beach — Bora Bora's only public beach and one of the most beautiful in French Polynesia.

Tereia Beach — the sandbank that crosses the lagoon

Tereia Beach in Maupiti is probably one of French Polynesia's best-kept secrets. A tongue of pure white sand, edged by a lagoon so calm it looks like a mirror. No luxury hotels and no crowds: just nature. At low tide, you can even walk across to the motu opposite through warm, knee-deep water — an almost unreal experience.

Photos taken wading towards the motu feel like an unexplored paradise. It's our favourite beach in all of French Polynesia.

Maupiti from the sky — Tereia's tongue of white sand and the turquoise lagoon.

Avea Beach — the end of the world in southern Huahine

Hidden at the far southern tip of Huahine, Avea Beach is a still-wild corner of paradise. Golden sand slopes gently into a very clear lagoon of milky blue, with rainforest tumbling down the hills behind. Here, everything feels slower and softer.

Snorkeling from the beach is pleasant and the trees offer shade. Add a paddleboard or a hammock and you have the perfect photo.

Avea Beach in southern Huahine — milky lagoon and jungle backdrop.

Fakarava — the pink sands of the south and PK9 beach

Fakarava is a huge atoll, listed as a UNESCO biosphere reserve. In the south of the atoll, the famous pink sands are one of the most incredible beaches in French Polynesia: sand with pinkish reflections, crystal-clear water and not a single building on the horizon. The only way there is a full-day boat trip from the village of Rotoava, often combined with snorkeling in the south pass.

The pink sands in southern Fakarava — reached on a full-day boat trip.

In the north, PK9 beach, nine kilometres from the village, is an easy bike ride: white sand, lone coconut palms and one of the atoll's most beautiful sunsets. Underwater, Fakarava is world-famous for diving, with its walls of sharks in the passes.

PK9 beach in northern Fakarava — a bike ride from the village.

The motus of Tikehau — deserted beaches with pinkish sand

Tikehau seems to float outside the world. On this almost circular atoll, the motus shelter beaches of slightly pinkish white sand that shimmers in the sun like mother-of-pearl dust. The contrast with the blue of the lagoon is striking, and it's not unusual to have an entire beach to yourself.

The best beaches are discovered on a lagoon boat trip, with snorkeling stops and a picnic on a motu.

The motus of Tikehau — white sand with pink reflections and a turquoise lagoon.