Stretching Our Legs Again
After all the snorkelling we did in the Tuamotus, our legs are longing to go on a hike again. It turns out Tahiti is a great place for that. Using Port Phaeton as our base, we explore the south side of Tahiti Nui. Despite this larger part of Tahiti being more densily populated than the smaller Tahiti Iti, it is very easy to get immersed in nature. All we need to do is cross the road that runs around the island and pass a few houses. We can then walk for kilometres through lush, green valleys without meeting anyone. Along the route are various types of plants which clearly thrive in the island’s tropical climate. Even the steepest mountain slopes are covered with vegetation. The combination of mountainous terrain and heat gives us much more trouble than the plants, so we regularly take breaks and drink plenty of water to recover. Fortunately, the water from streams is clean and wonderfully refreshing. Our cooling off efforts reach their pinnacle when we find a waterfall beside the road. We strip off our clothes and just let the falling water pour on us. Floris beams from ear to ear. “The best shower ever!”
Wild Tahiti Iti
To explore Tahiti Iti, we sail to the village of Teahupo’o. The sea is wonderfully flat, as we can stay within the shelter of the reef that runs parallel to the coast. The further south we venture, the more rugged the mountains and valleys become. At our anchorage just south of the little town, we are the only boat. That surprises us, as the place is famous among wave-surfers. A “perfect wave” attracts top surfers from all over the world to this place. Of course this year, the main event, Tahiti Pro, has been cancelled due to Covid. When we paddle out to see the wave up close, only a few local stars show off their impressive skills.
We paddle on to explore more of Tahiti Iti. In contrast to Tahiti Nui, the road does not go around the peninsula. Rather, it ends half-way down the coast, in Teahupo’o. Without a road to walk on, we paddle through well-sheltered bays and see one virgin valley after another opening up. The mountains’ black cliffs lay bare Tahiti’s volcanic origins. The landscape looks like it has been for thousands of years. There are only a few simple houses close to shore. After two hours and 10 kilometres of paddling, we finally reach our destination and head towards the coast. A lady living on the waterfront kindly shows us the way. “Just paddle up the stream, leave your kayak – no-one will take it – and follow the path”, she explains. We follow her instructions and find a natural cave which was of spiritual significance to the original Polynesian population. Energized by this magical discovery (and our packed lunch) we paddle another two hours back to Luci. “It’s great to see that there are still such original, quiet places on this large island”, Floris says. Too exhausted to tackle the famous wave ourselves, we settle for the replica in the village instead.