4 nights in Huahine: Dolphins & the Sweet Life – French Polynesia Road Trip (2/4)
On the way to Raiatea, the ferry first stopped at Huahine. Seeing its white sand beach and shades of blue, we slightly regretted not starting our vacation in incredible Huahine, but in the end it worked out better that way because, given the ferry schedule, going in this direction lets us spend 4 nights in Huahine instead of 3.
This travel journal is part of our French Polynesia Road Trip series, read part 1 first
Part 1: Travel Journal
Part 2: Practical Tips
Part 1: Travel Journal
JB finds us an airbnb / family guesthouse on the waterfront for €160 a night. But reading the listing carefully, I discover the owner has two Belgian Malinois. I panic and cancel the booking. We later learn that the two Malinois are tied up. Too late! Instead, we have an airbnb right across from the ferry (link), in the heart of the town of Fare, with a fake Cuba / Caribbean vibe.
Day 1
It’s the first time we’ve had an airbnb so close to the ferry (I didn’t even bother getting on the scooter to reach the place!). The owner has a shop on the floor below the airbnb. After a mix-up, we’re relieved to discover there really is room in a secure parking lot for our scooter (parking on the street isn’t a good option; fine for cars but not for scooters, too high a risk of theft). We’re on the first floor, with a large terrace looking straight out onto the port. Across from the terrace, there are always people around, super chill. They do nothing all day, play Polynesian music. Some sell fruit, others just stay there without talking to anyone, just enjoying the good life.
The public beach is a 3-minute walk away. It’s gorgeous because we’re not far from a pass and when the ferry leaves/arrives, you often see dolphins. We’re talking about twenty dolphins, not just 2 or 3. So when the ferry arrives/leaves, try to look (from the ferry or from the beach) toward the pass, you’ll probably be in for some surprises. In 2025, two whales even came right next to the port, putting on an extraordinary show.
Huahine, for snorkeling, for the fish, even without paying for excursions, is super super interesting. It’s one of my favorite islands and I could easily see myself spending 2 or 3 weeks there if JB is willing to work remotely from Huahine.
Here, the sand is pure white, hence that Caribbean feel. The public beach has no coral so it feels Bahamas.
On the other hand, there are plenty of other spots with coral, which I was able to find just by looking on Google Maps.
After the unpredictable weather in Raiatea, we understand that when it’s nice out, you have to get out ASAP, you never know if the clouds will come tomorrow, or if it’ll be windy. We head straight to the public beach to admire the colors of the water.
I don’t know if you can see it but from a distance, the mountain looks like a pregnant woman. It’s this mountain that also appears in the Moana animated movie.
Then we walk to the only food truck open late for lunch: Roulotte Snack Tamaa Maitai. The setting is sumptuous, and having lunch for only 1500XPF (€12) in front of this view is super cheap for French Polynesia.
There we run into quite a few civil servants, including a midwife who talks way too loudly on the phone. Below our airbnb is a medical office and there’s a line outside it all day long. Medical care isn’t great on the small islands. Even in Bora Bora there’s only one public doctor left (I read it in the papers). On the much more remote islands, there isn’t even a maternity ward, pregnant women have to come to Tahiti several months in advance, paying sky-high rent while they wait to give birth.
We see people coming to the port by zodiac or small boat. They must be the ones traveling by catamaran because they come with lots of empty jerrycans to fetch water. The kids are 5-6 years old but already know how to help their parents. I wonder how these children can, after this life of total freedom, conform and settle for a bullshit job later on. Polynesians are less strict about education so if you want to homeschool your children, there’s no problem, unlike in mainland France. Quite a few people live on catamarans year-round. The Polynesian islands cover an area as big as all of Europe, they’ve got plenty to keep them busy for a good while.
After lunch, we quickly do some shopping at the super U (water, snacks) and then JB goes snorkeling across from the catamarans (Google Maps). We see a woman coming out of the water with mask and snorkel and ask her what she thinks of this spot. She seems delighted, talks about multicolored coral. Compared to our PK18 beach in Tahiti, unfortunately the coral is much less pretty, there are far fewer fish. But it’s still a super cool spot not too far from Fare.
We then head to the Huahine Passion Distillery. We thought we’d get to see how the eaux-de-vie (made from local fruit) are produced but we only get the tasting for 500XPF. It’s very good, the taste is sweet, but I don’t drink and JB doesn’t want to drink alone so we’ll just settle for the small tasting.
We explore the North of the island a bit without stopping because we’re a little tired, we’ll explore each spot more thoroughly later.
In the evening, we go down to the restaurant on the ground floor of the Airbnb (Le Métis) and there’s one last table left. It’s French cuisine, a nice change from the Polynesian food trucks. I recommend it but remember to book, it’s always full.
Day 2
Today, we do the full loop of the northern island. Huahine, like Tahiti, is made up of two islands. The southern part is called Huahine Iti. The southern part is much more beautiful than the northern part but unfortunately there are very few hotels and restaurants/food trucks.
The northern part still has a lot of charm though. We start the sightseeing with the Shell Museum. It’s a private collection (40 years’ worth) and the collector himself gives the explanations in exchange for tips. However, he thinks he’s Gad Elmaleh and gets carried away, cracking cringey jokes, it’s too much. In any case, we got the message that you shouldn’t pick up just anything on the beach because some shells can sting you and you can die within 2 hours, with no antidote available.
We then stop in front of some Marae by the water, which aren’t really worth much.
At the Vanilla House, there are a few vines but the main point of the place is to sell vanilla products. It’s a far cry from the vanilla plantation experience in Raiatea. The ice cream is really good though (200XPF).
We look at the Maeva Fish Traps from the bridge. When the tide is high, these simple stone traps don’t work very well, but with the low tide and the current, they create natural traps and the fish have no way to escape. It’s ingenious.
A few minutes away is the Marae Manunu. I didn’t take a photo of it because I don’t find it that impressive, but the beach opposite, with very little coral, is impressive with its big waves. Especially since it’s very windy today.
We follow the road to the old Sofitel beach. There are still a few posts and a small pool, but everything else has been dismantled. It’s not scary, far from Urbex-type experiences. The current is strong so you’d better have fins, or be very careful. The best thing is to snorkel at the coral garden (opposite the Motukootu Snacking). And then let the current carry you and stop right at the posts.
I highly recommend staying at the Motukootu Snacking. The view is incredible, and the prices very gentle.
Since I’m on my period and can’t snorkel, I watch JB’s stuff while he does, and I have all the time in the world to observe the other tourists. The beach closest to the parking lot looks out on a lagoon with no coral or fish. Yet you only have to walk along the beach on the restaurant side, for about ten metres, to reach the coral, but out of 10 tourists, only 2 take the time to observe the place before getting in. There’s even a couple swimming against the current, unable to reach the coral, and after 20 minutes, still not wondering why. Maybe we live in a society where everything has to go fast, in express mode, to the point that we’ve lost the reflex to take the time to observe and analyse before making the best decision.
That said, I came across a few videos where even in the part without coral, some people manage to spot leopard rays, and are better able to observe them because the water isn’t deep here, unlike on other islands. So it’s still worth exploring the part without coral a bit. But the part with coral is full of fish, guaranteed!
Anyway, for this beach, take the time to walk around and observe carefully, estimate the depth of the water, note the differences in colour, especially if there are people in the water to gauge the strength of the current. Depending on the weather, the wind, the tide, the current near the old Sofitel can be more or less strong. You can cross the channel to snorkel near the motu, but to get back to the Sofitel beach, you can drift quickly. Here, there’s no risk of ending up in the ocean, but on the other side of the island, so almost an hour’s walk to get back to the old Sofitel on foot 😀 As for the kids, keep an eye on them!
This spot is JB’s favourite place. Not only is there plenty to snorkel, but letting yourself be carried by the current in a turquoise blue, such crystal-clear water, pleases him very very much. I’ll let you discover a little video filmed underwater.
The wind is very tiring so we spend the rest of the day with the windows wide open in our airbnb, listening to the sounds of the town of Fare. The windows were probably too open because JB got sick from the wind.
In the evening, we have dinner at the food truck next to the ferry (Snack Tane Tiurai). I don’t know how they manage to get chicken that tender, it’s delicious, for only 1300XPF. It’s great staying in Fare because you have access to loads of food trucks at lunch and dinner. It starts to rain and that’s when we catch a cold.
Day 3
JB is sick and can’t snorkel. I’m not sick yet but will be in two days with this changeable weather. The problem with our airbnb is that there’s no double glazing, the windows let the wind through even when closed, and the bedroom door doesn’t even close. We hear roosters, dogs and trucks from 5am and we sleep pretty badly. It’s a shame, during the day the Airbnb is paradise on earth, but if you sleep badly and it’s poorly insulated, it smells of exhaust fumes, we won’t be able to work remotely here for 2-3 weeks.
Today we actually do the full tour of both islands instead. The weather is cloudy and it rains intermittently. I should have trusted the weather forecast and stayed home. But I was afraid it would be even uglier the next day. I hesitated a lot and made the wrong decision.
We cross a bridge connecting the northern and southern parts. There are traces of concrete in the water, probably from an old bridge that didn’t hold up? Near these bits of concrete, there are lots of little fish that look like mini sharks, a bit white, they’re super cute!
We arrive at the hotel Le Mahana, probably the best on the island. You can get to the same beach by using a right of way, but the people living there seem hostile (I saw signs where they seem to claim the beach belongs to them, even though in Polynesia the beach is public by definition). Anyway, to avoid creating any more tension, we prefer to access this beach via Le Mahana hotel. We called ahead to find out if we’d be welcome at the restaurant, if they had day passes, if there was a way to snorkel by the pier… and the person on the phone couldn’t have been more welcoming. There’s no shower, but we can come for a drink, eat… and then snorkel with no problem at all. In fact, the hotel is so welcoming that all the catamarans nearby take their dinghies over to eat here.
The highlight of this beach is the anemones and the clownfish (Nemo). You just have to walk down to the end of the pier and snorkel next to the dinghy in the photo. Since the weather wasn’t great and JB was sick, we couldn’t snorkel, but I dipped my camera all over the water to figure out the best spot for snorkeling. This is also where people see a few (leopard) rays, and under the pier, a huge school of fish.
After lunch, we carry straight on to drive around the South island and we come across this absolutely incredible viewpoint (Tefarerii viewpoint), where two windsurfers cover miles on their foil… over turquoise water with no coral, probably a metre deep at most. It’s so, so beautiful! I have no idea how they manage to get to this spot because it looks far, and the channel is a bit choppy. Compared to the viewpoint on Raiatea, this one is even more beautiful.
We put Tanktino, our scooter, through a lot of hills. The hardest and steepest is the Maroe Bay Viewpoint. And it’s not even that pretty. I know some people come to see the sacred eels (on the North side), but when I went through the area, it didn’t smell good (it smelled like sewage) and we saw them in a water source that’s much cleaner in Tahiti.
In the distance, we can make out a cruise ship. It’s the famous Paul Gauguin belonging to the Ponant company. There are several kinds of cruise ships: the transpacific ones, and others that just go around the Polynesian islands. Since the ports aren’t that deep, they go into the bays, and then you have to get into small boats to go ashore on the islands. What a waste of time! But it’s probably cheaper since accommodation here isn’t exactly cheap.
Other than that, I learned that tourists from mainland France don’t really take the ferry like us, they prefer the plane, even between small islands, because they don’t have to deal with the ferry schedule (there’s only one every 2-3 days), there are multi-island passes, and the view from the plane is much nicer anyway.
Day 4
Today, we’re redoing all the beach spots we like. In the morning, I swim at the public beach because the weather is glorious. Then JB moves on to snorkeling at the coral garden & the old Sofitel beach. Unfortunately, on the way to Huahine Iti on the scooter, a bee (or a wasp) gets stuck between the scooter and my knee. By the time I realise what’s happening and brush it away, it’s already had time to sting me.
I’ve always wanted secretly to get stung once in my life just to see. Because I’m a curious person. I know some people get stung by bees to cure their Lyme disease (which is, curiously, caused by a single tick bite).
But the moment I get stung, I immediately regret it. The pain is so intense, the stung area feels numb. I scream in pain and JB, who’s driving, doesn’t understand what’s happening and brakes urgently. I still have the reflex to look for and remove the stinger. Once the stinger is out, the pain fades immediately. It’s a pain comparable to a vaccine shot like the Moderna one. A numbing pain. I wash the sting area with water, but I’m told later that I should have held a lighter or a cigarette near it to stop the venom from spreading. The good news is I’m not allergic, even though the sting area is still painful, red, hot and twice its size. A friend will tell me later that it happens very often, that people on scooters or bikes, wearing a helmet, get bees INSIDE their helmet and get stung in the face. That’s worse than the knee.
Anyway, I’m really not happy (1) about the sting (2) about my poor planning: if we’d gone to Mahana today, we could have snorkeled and seen the anemones. I regret missing the anemones and clownfish so much that I’m already planning the next holiday, figuring out how I can come back here… JB talks me down by listing everything we’ve managed to do so far. I also put a lot of pressure on myself because he hasn’t had more than a week off in over a year, I wanted it to be perfect. Knowing that he’s already very happy with the itinerary even though we missed half a day of snorkeling & a pearl farm, helps me put things in perspective a bit.
But fate will sort things out, because in the end I’ll see my anemones & clownfish in unlimited mode on the last days of the holiday.
In the evening, we get pizzas from the food truck La Pizzamobile, it’s delicious.
Big consolation: as we’re leaving Huahine for Bora Bora, someone tells me about a whale’s back spotted not far from the pass. I didn’t see it but I did see some dolphins, they even jumped. I can have a terrible day, but if I see dolphins… I forget everything 😀
Part 2: Practical Tips
Huahine is the place to be. I’d recommend spending as much time there as you can. Just make sure you have some way of getting around, though, because the island is big and varied. Apparently you can even see manta rays, but you have to ask the locals where to find them because they keep these spots secret to protect their island.
For dolphins, keep an eye out for ferries arriving and leaving, they’re almost always around at those times. Look for them near the pass, not far from the green buoy. You can watch them from the port, the Yacht Club, or the public beach. Whales can come very close to the port as well.
Every day at the port, we run into tourists who are completely lost because they can’t find a taxi to get to their airbnb/hotel. Sort things out before you come. Rent a car or a scooter (booking in advance) or contact your airbnb/hotel ahead of time to find out how to get there. Anyone arriving on a Sunday will have the misfortune of finding the town centre completely empty. The petrol station closes in the afternoon on Sundays, so remember to fill up ASAP and check the opening hours of the two petrol stations in Fare.
Budget
- Unlimited ferry pass (30 days) 24,000XPF per person + 10,000XPF/crossing for the scooter
- 4 nights in an airbnb: €445.25 (Airbnb link)
- Food trucks: between €12 and €15 per person per dish
- Le Mahana (Booking link): restaurant between 2500XPF and 3500XPF per dish, dessert 1800XPF, drink 500XPF
- Allow for car or scooter rental; or an excursion
Points of interest and the itinerary for the Leeward Islands are available on this map Google Maps
