7 Best Things To Do on Maupiti, French Polynesia

When we decided to go for spontaneous French Polynesia holidays because all the other countries were closed to tourists during our world trip, we didn't know what to expect and had no clue we would fall in love with a tiny island called Maupiti.

We had let the lovely desk lady at the Air Tahiti agency in Papeete decide which route would be best for us on our multi-islands tour, and Maupiti happened to be the first stop.

Upon arriving, the first sight of Maupiti blew us away after crossing the bright emerald blue waters with the boat shuttle that brought us from the airport-land strip on a separate islet to our pension.

We spent five days on the 'Bora Bora of 50 years ago' and quickly decided that this won't be our last visit.

I had previously travelled to other authentic Polynesian islands such as Tonga or Easter Island, and Maupiti is another marvellous little jewel with a particular wilderness not ruined by mass tourism yet, unlike Bora Bora for example. 

But I won't keep you waiting any longer: here's our list of the seven best things to do on Maupiti! 

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What And Where Is Maupiti?

Maupiti belongs to French Polynesia, which is an overseas collectivity of France. Unlike La Réunion island, a department entirely depending on the French government, French Polynesia is much more independent. 

Read more about French Polynesia here.

Maupiti is a little volcanic island of roughly 11 km², about 50 km East of the overly famous Bora Bora archipelago. Most of the 1200 inhabitants live in the town of Vaiʻea, but some chose the quietness of Auira and Tiapa'a, Maupiti's two major motus or reef islands surrounding the main one like a fortress wall. 

The only access to Maupiti by boat runs between the two southernmost motus and is called the 'Onoiau pass'. According to the locals we met, that pass is quite dangerous, and it's common for ships to either have to turn around or, in case of nasty weather and a strong undertow, to sink miserably.

Maupiti is also called the 'Bora Bora of 50 years ago' because it shares the same cultural background and clear lagoons with beautiful corals. Still, unlike Bora, Maupiti refuses colossal resort chains, which means that Maupiti succeeded in keeping its authentic and quiet Robinson Crusoe flair with only a few small and picturesque towns spread over several islands and islets.

Maupiti in a nutshell

How To Get To Maupiti

First, you must get to Tahiti-Faa'a International Airport, which is reachable from Europe and North America daily.

If you travel from Europe, the main departing point is Paris and you have to expect a stop in Los Angeles.

Both Los Angeles and San Francisco have direct connections to Tahiti.

From here, there are inter-island flights with Air Tahiti from Papeete, Raiatera and Bora Bora. 

There are also daily ferries that journey from these three islands to Maupiti.

For the flights, use Skyscanner to find the best multi-flight deals from different companies. 

Things To Know Before Visiting Maupiti

Language

French is the official language in French Polynesia. Unlike Tahitians, most of Maupiti's residents aren't very wordy in English, but this wasn't an issue for us as French is my second mother tongue (read more about me here). But if you don't know French, you will have to use hand- and foot signs. However, the openness and friendliness of the Polynesians will undoubtedly make this comfortable nonetheless. 

Money

Before starting your multi-islands tour, be sure to fill up on cash as Maupiti is one of the (many) smaller islands that doesn't have a bank, let alone an ATM. 

Most of the pensions on Maupiti don't have card readers either, and knowing that you will most likely pay an average of 90 € / 110 US $ per person per night (half-board, though!), your cash stock should be accordingly.

Airport-shuttle

Maupiti's airport (no building, just a counter and a few benches) sits on a narrow land strip running towards the sea on the motu Tuanai. Therefore, if your pension is on a different motu, you will have to use the shuttle boat from Air Tahiti - free of charge - or organise a private pick-up directly with your host.

Internet

Like nearly all of French Polynesia's islands, if your pension happens to have wifi, it will undoubtedly be very slow and spotty. This is a good thing when you plan on enjoying paradise while being disconnected but come in unhandy if you want to get some work done, as is usually the case in a blogger's life.

Booking accommodations

The best way to have an authentic French Polynesian experience, far away from honeymoon-style all inclusive resorts is to look for small family-run guesthouses or 'pensions'. They generally only have between two and five rooms and offer overnight stays with half-board.

On Maupiti, you won't have a choice anyway as there is no real hotel on the whole archipelago.

You don't have to necessarily accept the breakfast and dinner options when pensions offer them but we would advise to do so anyway because supermarkets on Maupiti are scarce and restaurants even more (there is only one, actually).

Maupiti's pensions can't be found on Booking nor do they have a website (some have one): booking is done by phone calls and WhatsApp-communication, sometimes e-mail. On the other hand, this gives the possibility to negotiate a better deal because you are not tied to fixed prices advertised on the usual platforms.

When asking for these prices, though, you have to read or listen carefully if it's per person or per room. Us Europeans aren't used to pay per person so this can end up being a bad surprise as the price you eventually pay will be double of what you expected.

The easiest thing is to go to the Air Tahiti agency or the tourist information center in Papeete and get the yearly published brochure with the phone numbers of all the family-run pensions available on the islands/archipelagos.

Getting around on Maupiti

If you are blessed with a healthy body of average fitness and not Travelling despite a chronic disease, you won't need a car. There wouldn't be a place to properly rent one anyway and if you happen to need one, your host will most likely be happy to lend his or her's.

With a circumference of only 10 km for the biggest island, the best way to get around is to rent bikes that most pensions provide (you pay by the day) or to use your feet. To get to other motus, depending on where you are, nearly every pension with a beach also has kayaks for you to take and paddle your way around the islets. As long as you don't get near the pass or past the reef barrier, you should be fine.

Where to stay on Maupiti

When we called the pension recommended by the lady at the Air Tahiti agency in Papeete, our host Lu told us that her pension Papahani on the tiny northern motu Tiapa'a was only available for two nights. So she suggested we'd first stay on the main island at her son's pension Taravanui and we gladly accepted.

With these family-run pensions on small islands, you will most likely get an offer that includes breakfast and dinner - so half-board. That is because supermarkets are scarce and so the pensions adapted to the needs for food of their guests.

Here's what we paid when we went (February 2021) but the prices are always negotiable:

Pension Taravanui: 88 € / 107 US $ per person per night (half-board)

Pension Papahani: 100 € / 123 US $ per person per night (half-board)

These prices might seem high and that is actually true. But French Polynesia isn't a cheap destination in general. And don't forget that you get breakfast and dinner for that price and I can assure you, the food is copious. 

For both pensions, we stayed in a private little bungalow with bathroom. Though the beach location at Papahani was heavenly, we kind of preferred the general atmosphere of Taravanui because they only have two bungalows, hence very few guests, and you all eat together at one big family-table.

Papahani is a bit bigger, about five bungalows, and the food is served in a proper outdoor restaurant setting with separate tables.

Both pensions are perfectly located to admire the insane Polynesian sunsets (see below) and to reach the famous Manta Ray-cleaning-station (also below).

Pension Taravanui is also great for being at almost equal distance from the beautiful Terei'a beach and the starting point for the te'urafa'atiu-trail.

7 best things to do on Maupiti

As I said earlier, we spent a total of five days (four nights) on Maupiti: three in the pension Taravanui, two on the motu at Papahani.

You could easily stretch this out to a whole week if you want to get the most out of Maupiti. But I'd say that's about the maximum because 11 km² really isn't that much.

But we actually wouldn't mind staying there for a few months, providing the internet was better to get some work done at the same time - both for not getting too lazy but also in order to be able to get the necessary budget.

1. Rent bikes to explore the island

If you stay on the main island first like we did, you should rent bikes to explore the surroundings and getting first impressions of this authentic French Polynesian jewel. 

The whole circumference of the island is only about 10 km. So you won't need a car for anything and while it is easily doable by foot, bikes do save time you could be spending relaxing on the white sand beaches instead.

From the shuttle jetty to the picture-perfect Terei' a beach it's about 3,5 km. From our pension Taravanui, it's 2,4 km: half an hour by foot, less with the bike. 

From Terei'a beach, you can reach the almost deserted motu Auira by foot because the water is so shallow, it only reaches up to your thighs if you manage to stay on the greenish area. Just be careful to not step on any stingrays lying in the sand. Auira is known for the intensive watermelon-cultivation. 

We were also very happy to have our bikes to get to the starting point of the te'urafa'atiu-trail (below) as the hike is quite strenuous and we really didn't feel like doing another 2 km once we came down from that hill to get back to the pension.

Don't expect high quality vehicles, though. You are lucky if the bike you get has pedals...

2. Hike Mount Te'urafa'atiu

Finding the starting point

Like I already mentioned, you should definitely get bikes at your pension and ride until you reach the starting point of the trail (see map). Here you can just leave the bikes somewhere along the path. They won't get stolen, don't worry.

The hike starts by climbing up through a rather dense forest, including mango trees which can serve to fill up your snack-bag if you happen to be there during the right season (October to March). Most of the trail is shaded but you should still start the hike in the morning to avoid being burned by the blazing sun once you arrive at the top viewpoints.

Steep climb and insane views

Some areas involve arm-strength as the path is literally vertical in some points and you will have to use the available ropes to get up.

The last two climbs are the hardest but the reward is insane: from the top of the 380 m high hill you get to enjoy 360 degree views on Maupiti, the motus and the insanely crystal clear lagoon, shimmering in various shades of blue and green.

Don't stop at the first and most popular viewpoint, though. There is another one if you continue the hardly visible path to the left when arriving. It leads to some kind of antenna and is a bit higher and even more spectacular.

Be very careful when descending because the vertical parts can be slippery - it's just earth and branches.

3. Enjoy a delicious 'four tahitien' on Tiapa'a

During our first dinner at the pension Taravanui, our hosts talked about what they call the 'four tahitien' and asked if we wanted to participate. Both Sebi and I as well as the other guest at the pension, Gwen, had some reservations as it sounded like a thing purposely organised for tourists.

But our hostess Loulou managed to convince the three of us to give it a chance.

This French Polynesian food-feast called tamara'a takes place every Saturday and because we happened to arrive on Maupiti on a Friday, we were kind of glad afterwards that we didn't miss the opportunity. 

Getting to Tiapa'a

In order to participate, our hosts brought us to the Tiapa'a motu (yes, the same one where we stayed two days later at the pension Papahani) with the only ahima'a or Tahitian cooking pit in the archipelago of Maupiti. It's basically a hole in the sand that is layered with hot coals, then lava stones and banana leaves on top.

Because the whole procedure takes about five hours in total (one hour for the fire, four hours to cook the food), they start preparing early in the morning to have everything ready for when the tourists from all the different pensions on Maupiti arrive. Seeing that big group of about two dozen people attending the event was weird as we quickly had become accustomed to the quiet and empty main island.

Also: we were among the last tourists to arrive in French Polynesia due to the Covid19-crisis and closure of the borders and so the only remaining people were French. I don't know if you ever heard of French 'holiday camps' but that's what it felt like.

Introduction to the tamara'a and uncovering the oven

Upon arrival, we were greeted by the local chief Nelson who gave a brief introduction on what the tamara'a actually represents. It used to be for family gatherings after church on Sunday but his daughter had the idea to organise it on the Saturday instead. Why? Because Air Tahiti's inter-island flights always leave Maupiti on the Sunday afternoon. Which meant that a lot of tourists who only stayed for the weekend missed out on the event.

Once he had finished, the whole group gathered around the ahima'a to watch the locals expertly peeling off the layers of the oven. Underneath the sand bags and banana leaves, a big rack filled with food in little woven baskets appeared. There was pork, fish, chicken, uru and taro (Polynesian breadfruit and roots), plantain bananas, sweet potato and a typical Polynesian dessert, the Po'e, a sort of hard jelly made of squash (originally banana) and coconut milk.

Dig in!

After chief Nelson said a short prayer (Polynesians are very religious) and thanked his forefathers for the food, it was time to form a line at the buffet.

In addition to the food prepared inside the oven, they also had a soft version of the fafaru: raw tuna slices in a marinade of seawater with crushed shrimps (usually left in the sun for a few days but not in this case). Served with fermented coconut milk (mitihue), it was so good I think I had three servings.

As a matter of fact, Sebi and I both went to the buffet three times - food was plentiful and delicious.

It was also a nice opportunity to meet fellow travellers and French people who reside and work in Tahiti and were enjoying a quick holiday on Maupiti.

If you like to know more about French Polynesia cuisine, click here. 

French Polynesian entertainment

After the meal, we got to participate in a 'throw the coconut' competition. We were all divided into groups according to our pension and each of us had to throw dried coconuts into a shallow pit without it jumping out.

Because our group didn't make it to the final round, we left to do a walk in the crystal clear shallow waters around the motu to spot some stingrays. So I actually don't know what the winner got...

After the competition, several little boats were organised to bring people back to their respective pensions. All in all, it was a very enjoyable experience and even though slightly over-touristy, you should do it if you visit Maupiti.

4. Be in awe with the majestic Manta Rays

I have snorkelled with whale sharks in Mexico and we had the pleasure of swimming with nurse sharks in Belize so we already had a few underwater experiences.

But I must admit, by far the most elegant creature we got to see from that close were these manta rays. Reef mantas (also called mobula alfredi) are a very common sight in Maupiti's lagoon due to a huge population of tiny wrasses in a certain area that feed on parasites on the manta's wings. Hence the name of 'manta cleaning station' for this specific snorkel/diving spot.

Our host took us to this very well-known spot (see the approximate location on the  map here-above) by boat and let us jump into the water. The first glimpse we caught wasn't ideal because it had just rained and the undertow caused lots of moving sands, fogging the view. What we saw was already impressive but not as much as a few days later.

Because we now knew where to find them, we headed out with the kayaks (and our new French friend Gwen) to check out the same spot again. The water was much calmer and that's when we really got to take in the immensity of these creatures with a wingspan of five meters, delicately moving in what looked like dances in circles.

5. Go snorkelling in the 'coral garden' of the Tuanai motu

On the South side of the Tuanai motu, there is a beautiful coral reef to explore by snorkelling - not diving because it's actually too shallow - which is called the 'coral garden'.

Either check out the North part of the garden by going in directly from the Tuanai motu or have your host bring you there by boat.

If you don't want to pay for the trip (which we did because we came from our pension on the main island), you should be staying on the Tiapa'a motu and have a look at the Southern part of the garden.

It is easily accessible from the beach and the underwater-world that unfolds before your eyes is just as beautiful. Beware of the undertow, though. As you sometimes get close to the Eastern reef barrier, the current can be quite strong and unpredictable. I got pushed against a coral and got a nasty wound on my wrist. And coral-wounds take a lot of time to heal properly due to their polyps.

The snorkelling excursions to the manta rays and the coral garden usually come as a package-deal that most pensions on Maupiti offer.

6. Go diving with the Manta rays

We didn't do this because at that point, we didn't have our Open Water Diving license yet. But fellow travellers from Switzerland we met at Fakarava told us they did and it was a very enjoyable experience to dive in the manta ray spot.

They actually went down the eight meters to stay on the ground and let the mantas dance all around them, getting super close because they weren't threatened by non-moving figures sitting in the sand.

Also, seeing them from below is just as impressive as the sight from above.

7. Enjoy amazing sunsets

There is not that much to say so I will let the pictures speak for themselves...

Truth is, we actually had insanely beautiful sunsets almost every single night during our French Polynesia holidays. And both our pensions on Maupiti were perfectly located with gorgeous views of the sun setting in the ocean.

Maupiti was our first stop on our multi-islands round in French Polynesia and it really set the bar super high for the rest of the trip. While we did have some other highlights such as Fakarava, Maupiti will remain our absolute favourite in terms of authenticity.

After this Polynesian adventure, we went straight to backpacking in Jordan - what a contrast!

I hope you enjoyed reading through these seven experiences and feel free to ask questions or comment with your own experiences below.

Also, please pin and share this post for others to see (and to support us).

As ever

xx

Cyn

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