French Polynesia🇵🇫 | hikesFautaua Waterfall TrailRiver crossings, 100-meter cascade, mape groves, four-hour return | things to do and best time to go

Backpackers come for the rare combination of a real rainforest walk and a bed in town. Fautaua Valley starts at the edge of Papeete, so you can hike in the morning, be back for lunch at the waterfront food trucks and still catch an afternoon ferry or flight. Nothing else on Tahiti gives you this much jungle without a rental car.

The second draw is the payoff. The trail is mostly gentle and follows the river, then ends at a lookout facing the three-tiered Fautaua Falls, one of the tallest on the island. You get a big-ticket sight for about half a day of walking, and no guide is needed in normal conditions.

It also tells you something about Tahiti that beaches don’t. The valley supplies drinking water to the capital, and the path passes mape chestnut trees, wild ginger and giant ferns that locals … read more 👉

Backpackers come for the rare combination of a real rainforest walk and a bed in town. Fautaua Valley starts at the edge of Papeete, so you can hike in the morning, be back for lunch at the waterfront food trucks and still catch an afternoon ferry or flight. Nothing else on Tahiti gives you this much jungle without a rental car.

The second draw is the payoff. The trail is mostly gentle and follows the river, then ends at a lookout facing the three-tiered Fautaua Falls, one of the tallest on the island. You get a big-ticket sight for about half a day of walking, and no guide is needed in normal conditions.

It also tells you something about Tahiti that beaches don’t. The valley supplies drinking water to the capital, and the path passes mape chestnut trees, wild ginger and giant ferns that locals still use. If you are island-hopping through the Society Islands on a tight budget, this is the one day where the scenery costs almost nothing, and the Bain Loti pool, named for the writer Pierre Loti, adds a bit of history along the way.