The island of Huahine, belonging to the archipelago of the islands of the Society, is the symbol of the Polynesian myth. A wild and authentic island, it can be reached by a domestic 30-minute flight from Tahiti. A beautiful crystalline lagoon embraces the two main islands, Huahine Nui in the north and Huahine Iti in the south. A legend says that it was the God Hiro that split it into two with his pirogue. Nevertheless, they are considered as one, since they are only separated by a narrow branch of sea (Maroe bay), which is some dozens of meters wide.
Among the two, Huahine Nui is the most touristically developed, while Huahine Iti is small, rugged and hides some of the most beautiful bays and white beaches like Parea, with its white talcum powder sand and a pristine lagoon.
Huahine offers a taste of the most authentic Polynesia with bays and lagoons whose colors fade from dark green to emerald green and blue. It is the ideal destination for those who are looking for a quiet place far from the most popular tourist destinations.
We chose to stay in a small hotel which had some very nice beach bungalows. Their best feature was the floor entirely made of shells and pebbles so that when you walk on it, you have the feeling of being on the beach. Canoes and bikes are also available to guests. We took advantage of it immediately and we paddled from our bungalow to the tip of the island, where we stopped to swim on a deserted beach. The following day we took the bikes. We walked the perimeter of the island and every now and then we stopped to pick some flowers, visit the vanilla fields or eat the coconuts sold by men on the street.
Staying here was a very relaxing experience. The island is hardly affected by mass tourism; we have rarely met other travelers.
