![\"Raivavae-Papeete\"](\"https:\/\/pluskata.pl\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Raivavae-Papeete-195x300.jpg\")
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Date: <\/b>29.04-21.05.2026
\nRoute: <\/b>Rivavare-Tubuai-Haapiti-Cook Bay-Papeete
\nMiles\/Hours:<\/b> 111h\/ 499Mm<\/p>\nRivavae<\/h2>\n
Registering a New Crew Member<\/h3>\n
If someone is arriving in French Polynesia, you need to include this in your registration (editing and adding another crew member) and go with them and their passport to the gendarmerie office. In our case, a passport scan from your phone and showing Ewa to the gendarmerie along the way was enough.<\/p>\n
There are several grocery stores on the island. You can buy canned goods, frozen meat, sometimes ice cream and onions (but only in some stores), but coconuts, pamelo, and bananas are widely available for free. You won’t starve, but for supplies for the cruise, it’s a pittance.<\/p>\n
We’re going on a trip around the island. First, we visit a smiling Tiki, a stone statue. It’s located on private property, so we only find it thanks to a tip from a local who opens the gate for us. The next stop is Le Rocher de l’Hombre (Rock of the Hombre) \u2013 a beautiful rock right on the water. Along the shore, we reach the village of Anatonu \u2013 it turns out the canoe factory doesn’t exist; you can arrange in advance with a local to show you how to make a canoe. Techniques vary, from plywood, plank, to laminate, or a combination of all three. Everyone makes their own canoes. These are outrigger kayaks called Va’a. We continue on and, in the village of Vaiuru, turn onto a road across the island. At first, the concrete paving is quite decent, but the further you go, the worse it gets. Finally, we walk along a narrow path (underneath are traces of an old road). We cross fallen trees, pass old banana plantations, horses grazing by the road, and reach the main road around the island \u2013 a closed circle. We walked about 20 km in total.<\/p>\n
The main island of the Australes archipelago. There are no parking time limits here. You anchor behind a barrier reef in the atoll at a depth of about 5 m. The anchor holds poorly in the rocks, but fortunately, the atoll has little swell.
\nIn 1789, the mutineers from the Bounty sailed to Tubai and tried to settle there, but the local population forced them to leave. You can visit a reconstruction of Fort George, which the mutineers built as a defense against invaders (open during school holidays). The island also has other cultural sites, such as a marae and the Hermitage of Saint Helena.<\/p>\n
The main town on the island. Most offices are located here (including the mayor’s office, police, bank, and post office). There’s also a pharmacy, a grocery store, and a pub. I recommend Fish’n Eat. Delicious dishes range in price from 400 to 1800 XPF. You can pay by card.
\nThere’s a gas station at the dingy dock. Here we buy two 12kg plastic cylinders filled with gas for 5000 XPF each. The replacement itself will cost us 2650 XPF. In French Polynesia, gas, like fuel, is subsidized and has a fixed price.
\nDue to approaching bad weather and a lack of shelter at the anchorage on the next island in the Australes archipelago (Rurutu), we decide to sail north.
\nFirst it’s quite pleasant \u2013 we sail with a foresail into a wind that doesn’t exceed 20 knots.
\nUnfortunately, on the second day, the wind picks up in the morning (according to the forecast), and by evening, gusts reach 40kn. We reef the jib firmly and set sail. In the evening, we watch another version of the film „Mutiny on the Bounty.” In the morning, it turns out that our flag is just shreds (it wasn’t so good before), and the lifebuoy has fallen from its holder, but luckily, the line held it. Fortunately, we have no losses, and the Pluskata performed very well in this wind. The wind was 7-8 B on the Beaufort scale.
\nAt noon on Sunday, we arrive at the anchorage off Moorea Island.<\/p>\n
An island in the Society Islands archipelago. A beautiful, heart-shaped island east of Tahiti.<\/p>\n
You’re anchored at about 3-5m on the sand. The water is crystal clear. Rays, reef sharks, pufferfish, and other fish swim around the yacht \u2013 it’s beautiful. Places must be reserved on the website https:\/\/escales.gov.pf. The maximum booking time is 48 hours, but the system allows for Make a few reservations.<\/p>\n
We decide to take a trip to a nearby waterfall. We leave our boat at a private „dock” \u2013 we get permission from the owner. The waterfall is about a 1.5-hour walk, but it’s mostly flat and slightly uphill. Unfortunately, the road is muddy. The waterfall isn’t very large and also serves as a water intake for the cottages below, but it’s still very charming, and the vegetation is typical jungle \u2013 huge and green.<\/p>\n
We decide on a tour with Taravana Tours’ „Tasty Tour.” We pay 8,000 XPF per person \u2013 including lunch (without drinks). We have a private tour in an air-conditioned 9-seater car. The driver picks us up at 9:00 AM near where we left the boat (we leave it at a private dock). After four days at the Haapiti anchorage, we move the yacht to Cook Bay. It’s about 20 nautical miles from Haapiti. We set sail around 10 a.m., bidding farewell to the beautiful blue water and our beloved stingrays (at night, they regularly set off the shallow water alarm by passing under the echo sounder). We reached Coork Bay around 3 p.m. This time, there was mud on the bottom. We stopped at 11 meters at the end of the bay. Nearby are numerous guesthouses and a Super U market. In the morning, Janusz gave us a lift in his boat to the end of the bay. At 9:30 a.m., we set off on the trail. The hike is about 3.5 km long, with an elevation gain of 870 m \u2013 maps say 3 hours each way. We swap our sandals for sneakers and set off uphill. The trail is visible, but heavily overgrown. Higher up, there are boulders, and you have to climb. Ropes are installed at some sections, but they are usually too short and of poor quality (they risk breaking). We reach the first viewpoint, take photos, and continue on. We reach the second viewpoint at almost 500 m above sea level. The views are beautiful, but it’s 1 p.m., and we decide we won’t make it to the summit in time (we have to get back to the yacht before dark). We descend \u2013 in places, it’s even more difficult than the ascent.<\/p>\n A very nice marina, full of yachts. You moor on moorings, but the staff hand you over. There are floating docks, and a mariner helps with mooring. Toilet tablets are available at the marina office for a 1000 XPF deposit. You pay upon departure. The price is 120 XPF per foot per day (net \u2013 plus 13% VAT). Additional fees are 3300 XPF for electricity (16A) per week and 1650 XPF for garbage disposal per week.<\/p>\n There are buses in Tahiti \u2013 the routes are consistent, but the times are not. A ride costs 200 XPF per section (regardless of distance) \u2013 payable in cash to the driver. You can also buy a prepaid card (1100 XPF for 10 trips + the cost of the 500 XPF card). You can buy the card at the bus station near the town hall (entrance between the restrooms :-)). Buses don’t run on Sundays, and the number of buses on Saturdays is very limited. The capital of French Polynesia. A more European city, with French shops (e.g., Carrefour, Decathlon) and a fairly good selection of goods, although prices are doubled for non-subsidized products. We explore Tahiti in a rental car. On the first day, we drive along the southeast side of the island. We visit the Polynesian Islands Museum<\/strong> (Te Fare Iamanaha-Mus\u00e9e). Admission is 1000 XPF per person. This is an interesting museum about the history and culture of French Polynesia. We reach the end of the island, in the town of Teahupoo<\/strong>, where the 2024 Olympic surfing competition took place. The waves are indeed big, and someone is even training. You can also paddle out and see the waves up close for a fee (around $50).
\nOur first stop is the Pao Pao viewpoint. From above, we admire the Manava Beach Resort<\/strong> with its cottages nestled in the beautiful blue water. We take a group photo and move on.
\nj. The next stop on the itinerary is the Manutea Tahiti distillery and juice factory. The tour begins with a bar and tasting \u2013 the bartender pours various liqueurs (pineapple, coconut) and drinks into glasses, and finally, rum. You can also choose to sample non-alcoholic juices. Everything is delicious. Finally, there’s a shop. After leaving the shop, we go on a factory tour. Before entering the hall, you must put on a disposable cap. The production hall is viewed from above. There are also numerous posters describing the production process in both French and English. The tour is self-guided. From above, you can see the various stages of production, but not all the machines are operational \u2013 we see the juice being filled into cartons. From the distillery, we drive through the Opunohu Valley<\/strong> to the Belvedere viewpoint<\/strong>. Along the way, we pass the Eco Museum and the Agricultural University \u2013 the only higher education institution on the island. Along the way, we admire beautiful mountains and the location where the film Mutiny on the Bounty (the 1860s version) was filmed. From the Belvedere lookout, we have a beautiful view of the Opunohu Valley, two bays (Cook and Opunohu), and the sacred Mount Rotui. Returning from the lookout, we see the Marae<\/strong> and Te Ti’i Roa shrine. In ancient times, locals would come here to pray to the gods for various things. Behind the stone fence, there were seating areas for the chosen ones. Numerous hiking trails branch off from this point, many leading to other Maraes.
\nThe next stop on the itinerary is Papetoai Temple<\/strong> \u2013 the first temple on the island.
\nIn 1833, missionaries landed at Papetoai, formerly Faatoai, on the island of Moorea. They named the place where they first set foot „Te maoae roa” after the wind that carried them there. They built the first wooden temple, octagonal in shape, as a tribute to Moorea’s original name, Aimeho i te rara varu\u2014Aimeho of the Eight Tentacles, named after the island’s eight mountain ranges. They built it directly on top of the Uaeva marae, with the original spring inside the building. The second stone temple was built between 1887 and 1891, again octagonal in shape, but this time with the spring outside. Inside the temple is a marble stone commemorating the missionaries’ work and a wooden plaque honoring their first convert in 1815, Grand Chief Patii, who later became the first Tahitian deacon. The spring, „Vai te rara epu,” was part of the island’s evangelization efforts. The entire population gathered for worship, and numerous baptisms were performed in the spring’s waters. Pomare II and six other deacons were baptized there. Legend has it that the spring also has certain healing properties. The vertical stone in front of the temple is called „Tura’a ma rafea” and comes from the sacred marae of Taputapuatea in Raiatea, which is why the marae Tepua tea from Papetoai has the status of a national marae. The stone was a wedding gift for a priest from Papetoai, who married a girl from the royal family in Raiatea. This temple is a very important place in the history of Polynesian religion.
\nFinally, we go to a restaurant run by the owner of the office. First, we sample local jams and fruits, and then we choose lunch from the menu. All the dishes are delicious.<\/p>\nAnchorage in Cook Bay<\/h3>\n
\nOn Sunday, the anchorage was a real treat \u2013 first, our neighbor’s boat dropped its anchor and stopped with the neighboring yacht \u2013 fortunately, no one was hurt (neither people nor yachts). Then, towards evening, a thatched building on the shore began to burn. Fortunately, the wind was offshore, so the fire didn’t spread. The fire brigade arrived and extinguished the blaze. In the evening, with another gust, our anchor dropped. We spent almost an hour searching in the dark for a spot with good hold. We finally found one, but we still set anchor watches; the gusts subsided after midnight.<\/p>\nTrip to the sacred Routi Mountain<\/h3>\n
Tahiti<\/h2>\n
Marina Taina<\/h3>\n
Getting Around Tahiti<\/h3>\n
\nAnother way to get around (especially for longer distances) is to rent a car. Prices range from 5,000 to 10,000 XPF or even more per day. A security deposit is also required. At the rental company Janusz chose, the deposit is charged to a credit card but returned in cash.<\/p>\nPapeete<\/h3>\n
\nThe city market is worth visiting (open from 5:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and before noon on Saturday and Sunday). You can stroll through the city center, see the administrative buildings and the Archbishop’s Palace, and take a bus back to the marina.<\/p>\nTahiti Tour<\/h3>\n
\nWe continue south, stopping for lunch along the way (make sure you arrive at 2 PM or earlier, as it’s a French custom to stop for food after 2 PM).<\/p>\n
\nWe return along the north side of the island and climb up to Venus Point to watch the sunset.
\nOn the second day, we go to see the waterfalls (three cascades) \u2013 a beautiful spot with a lake beneath the waterfalls (one large and several smaller ones), but swimming is prohibited. The road to the other waterfalls is closed due to the large volume of water. We want to see the lava tubes again, but they’ve built a fence along the way with a sign saying „private road” :-(.
\nWe buy lunch sets for 1000 XPF (roasted chicken, rice, and lemon sauce) and sit on a bench at the next viewpoint. In the afternoon, we return to the marina.<\/p>\n