Since our return flight to Italy was booked for September 3rd, we had an entire week to explore the island. We rented a small apartment on the hill overlooking the city of Papeete, and to get around, we rented a car.
In the following days, we visited several points of interest on the island, such as the Ethnographic Museum of the Islands, which is rich in fascinating insights into Polynesian culture, as well as archaeological sites scattered throughout the island. We also took walks to reach a few waterfalls and relaxed on the many beautiful beaches that surround the island.
In addition, driven by curiosity, we ventured nearly to the southern tip of the island to see the famous location of Teahupoo, just offshore from where the Olympic surfing competitions had recently taken place. Unfortunately, due to the rainy and foggy weather, we could only catch a glimpse of the majestic wave in the distance. This wave, the dream of every surfer, forms about 400 meters offshore and is universally recognized as the most famous “reef break” in the world.
During our walks, we had the pleasant surprise of meeting some of the sailing friends we had made during various stages of our journey. This was proof that certain destinations are more frequently visited, often due to the availability of spare parts or other necessities for the boat—items that would otherwise be impossible to find in the Marquesas, and even less so in the atolls of the Tuamotus. Overall, Papeete is a modern city, quite similar in many ways to European cities. While it certainly lacks the charm of the stunning paradise spots we had grown accustomed to during our months of sailing, on the other hand, it offers all the things that we had sometimes dreamed of and wished for.
Tahiti
Since our return flight to Italy was booked for September 3rd, we had an entire week to explore the island. We rented a small apartment on the hill overlooking the city of Papeete, and to get around, we rented a car.
In the following days, we visited several points of interest on the island, such as the Ethnographic Museum of the Islands, which is rich in fascinating insights into Polynesian culture, as well as archaeological sites scattered throughout the island. We also took walks to reach a few waterfalls and relaxed on the many beautiful beaches that surround the island.
In addition, driven by curiosity, we ventured nearly to the southern tip of the island to see the famous location of Teahupoo, just offshore from where the Olympic surfing competitions had recently taken place. Unfortunately, due to the rainy and foggy weather, we could only catch a glimpse of the majestic wave in the distance. This wave, the dream of every surfer, forms about 400 meters offshore and is universally recognized as the most famous “reef break” in the world.
During our walks, we had the pleasant surprise of meeting some of the sailing friends we had made during various stages of our journey. This was proof that certain destinations are more frequently visited, often due to the availability of spare parts or other necessities for the boat—items that would otherwise be impossible to find in the Marquesas, and even less so in the atolls of the Tuamotus. Overall, Papeete is a modern city, quite similar in many ways to European cities. While it certainly lacks the charm of the stunning paradise spots we had grown accustomed to during our months of sailing, on the other hand, it offers all the things that we had sometimes dreamed of and wished for.