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Taravao
ℹ️Practical info — Taravao
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🌤 Weather — 5 days
📍 Nearby
Sights nearby
💡 Tips
- Use Taravao as your strategic hub to restock supplies at the large supermarkets before exploring the wilder Tahiti Iti peninsula.
- Drive up to the Plateau de Taravao for a dramatic change in scenery, featuring cool, misty pastures that resemble the Alps.
- Traffic at the main Taravao junction can get congested during rush hours (morning and late afternoon); plan your drives accordingly.
- The town connects Tahiti Nui and Tahiti Iti, making it a first-rate starting point for coastal drives to Teahupoo or Tautira.
- Look for fresh local produce at the roadside stalls just outside the commercial center for better prices than the stores.
🍽 Food
Try local milk, cheese, and yogurt produced by the cows roaming the nearby Taravao Plateau, available in local supermarkets.
Enjoy French-style steak and fries at one of the brasseries or restaurants near the town center.
Grab a generous portion of this local Chinese-Tahitian fried noodle dish at a takeaway stall near the main crossroads.
🛍 Shopping · 🧘 Quiet spots
Visit the Carrefour or Champion to stock up on French wines, snacks, and picnic supplies for your road trips.
Stop along the main roads leading out of town to buy fresh coconuts, bananas, and seasonal tropical fruits.
Drive up the plateau to this viewpoint for a panoramic, quiet panorama of the isthmus connecting the two parts of Tahiti.
Take a stroll along the edge of this deeply sheltered bay, known for its calm waters and anchored sailboats.
Water temperature…
Taravao is strategically situated on the narrow isthmus that bridges the two main sections of Tahiti: the larger Tahiti Nui and the smaller, more rugged Tahiti Iti. This central location has established the town as a vital logistical and commercial hub for the island's residents. Unlike the palm-fringed coastal areas typical of the region, Taravao is famous for its verdant hinterland and the Taravao Plateau. Often compared to the Swiss Alps due to its rolling green pastures and cooler temperatures, the plateau is the heart of French Polynesia's dairy and cattle industry. For visitors, the plateau provides several lookout points that provide dramatic panoramic views of the entire island and the surrounding ocean. As the gateway to the wilder landscapes of Tahiti Iti, Taravao serves as an essential transition point where urban convenience meets the rich agricultural traditions and unique highland geography of the South Pacific.
- Location: French Polynesia
- Top sights: Église du Saint-Cœur-de-Marie · Fort de Taravao · Chapelle St PADRE PIO
- Nearby: Vairao (6 km)
- Population: ~5.815
Best time to visit & climate
The most pleasant time to visit is Jul–Sep.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °C | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 27 |
| Rain mm | 190 | 175 | 134 | 116 | 90 | 69 | 52 | 47 | 40 | 84 | 113 | 221 |
Geography
Facts
- population: 4,000 (2017)
- area: 16 km²
- ferry to Moorea: 30 min
- botanical garden: 3 ha
- lighthouse height: 25 m
- distance from Papeete: 60 km
Explore nearby
Notable places around
Route planner — Car & Motorhome
Where do you start? We build the route here, with stops and country notes along the way.
© OpenStreetMap contributors · OpenRouteService
Sights in the town Taravao (6)
Église néo-agnostique
Neo-agnostic church in Taravao, a venue for non-dogmatic spirituality.
Église de JC des St des derniers jours
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Taravao, Tahiti.
Frequently asked questions
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Taravao: where is it located?
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