3 days on Maupiti

credit: Pierre-François Grosjean

Itinerary

Visitors in search of authenticity will enjoy Maupiti’s handful of family-run Guesthouses, the only accommodations on the island. Explorers will want to visit the caves of Vai’ea as well as Maupiti’s motu Pae’ao, which holds an archaeological site that dates from the 9th century, one of Polynesia’s most ancient. Only 25 miles (40 kilometers) from sybaritic pleasures of Bora Bora, Maupiti is a small isolated island in the Society archipelago. This sleepy community offers serenity and warm, island combined with unprecedented natural beauty. Maupiti is the Tahiti known to the first sailors that encountered this fabled realm.

Day 1 : Circle Island Tour

  • The village of Vai’ea
    The village of Vai’ea nestles at the foot of cliffs. Many sea birds seek refuge in the niches and caverns of the cliffs, which form a formidable backdrop to the village of Vai’ea. Continuing to the north part of the island, the tour reaches the valley of Hiranai and its interesting lithic monuments, such as a phallic shaped tiki, and on the rocks, petroglyphs resembling turtles. Further on into the Valley of Vaitia, an enormous flat stone is said to be the legendary canoe of Hiro.
  • Walk from Vaiea to the Hotu cliffs
    Boat trip with a guide. This 541-foot high cliff looms over the village of Vaiea. The sloping path cuts through an undergrowth of mape, mango trees and Hibiscus Tiliaceus before climbing to the ridge. Gaps in the plant growth allow a view of the splendid landscapes on the motu and the clear waters of the lagoon. On arrival at the first peak, the view opens out onto the horizon and the ocean, and walkers can catch a glimpse of the neighboring summits of Teurafaatui or Nuupere, rising up to a height of 1,220 feet.

Day 2 : Nautical Acitivities

  • Trips to the motu
    A journey across the shallow turquoise lagoon provides a great view of leopard and manta rays, dancing among a multitude of iridescent fish.The famous “coral pots” on show here attract the attention of pearl farms.Opposite the village of Vai’ea, the two motu flanking the pass, Pitiahe and Tiapaa which protects the Ofera marae, only recently discovered, merit a stop. To the north between two larger motu, along side the pass of Hiro and a coral garden, Paeao has a rich past, with an archaeological site dating from the 9th Century – one of Polynesia’s most ancient.To its left, the Motu Auira, is home to melon plantations and large windmills, which overlook the last remnants of the marae. A natural ford, also known as “baby shark passage”, flows to Tereia Point and its magnificent fine sandy beach.

Day 3 : Cultural Activities

  • On request:
    A cultural session may be operated at the guesthouse where you are accommodated