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The islands themselves and their nature are the attractions of French Polynesia. French Polynesia is one of the most mythical places in the human imagination. These are in fact the mythical islands of the southern seas fabled by every sailor since their discovery in the 18th century. A world revived in the 19th century in the paintings of Paul Gauguin, who lived the last years of his life here.
This world is no longer part of French Polynesia. Today, in fact, everything is done for tourists, both traditional dance shows and the legendary Tahitian welcome, which led the sailors of the Bounty to mutiny, and everything is paid dearly. French Polynesia is in fact one of the most expensive places in the world. But this does not detract from the spectacular landscapes that nature has given to these archipelagos, which fortunately are still available to tourists.
Those who visit French Polynesia must consider the spectacle of the nature of the islands. Don’t expect social life or nightlife, except in Papeete, if you are looking for these last things, change your destination. These are not the attractions of French Polynesia.
THE MYTHICAL SOUTH SEA ISLANDS
The Society Islands are undoubtedly the most visited and those with the most services for the tourist, their names already evoke dream places: Tahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, Tahaa and Maupiti are the main islands of the archipelago of the Society.
These are volcanic islands whose main and most beautiful feature are the green mountains, which often arise from the sea with pinnacles and particular shapes. All the islands are then surrounded by beautiful coral reefs that form beautiful lagoons with warm waters and all shades of blue. Unlike what is believed, the islands do not have many beaches, the beaches are generally found on the motu of the lagoon that surrounds them.
The archipelago of the Tuamotu Islands is made up of hundreds of coral islands. These are the largest chain of atolls in the world. These islands are flat with an internal lagoon and full of beaches. The most developed from a tourist point of view are Rangiroa, Manihi, Fakarava and Tikehau.
THE WILD MARQUESAS ISLANDS
The archipelago of the Marquesas Islands is a remote archipelago, 3 and a half hours flight from Tahiti. This archipelago is made up of islands of wild beauty due to their bizarre mountains. These islands have no coral reef and have no lagoon, and beaches are scarce. On one of these islands, the island of Hiva Oa, is the tomb of Paul Gauguin. Each island has its own peculiarity, how can we forget the pointed mountains of Ua Pou or the famous Bay of Virgins of Fatu Hiva.
An unforgettable experience is a visit to the Marquesas Islands with a cruise aboard the Aranui cargo ship. The islands of French Polynesia are completed by two other remote archipelagos: the archipelago of the Austral Islands, with islands more similar to those of the Society, but with a colder climate, and the archipelago of the Gambier Islands, the most remote of all, located at 4 hours of flight from Tahiti.
