Papeete

About Papeete

Papeete is the capital of French Polynesia and the cruise gateway to Tahiti, Moorea, and Bora Bora. Ships dock at the Papeete Cruise Terminal on the downtown waterfront, a short walk from the Marché Municipal and Place Vai'ete's evening food trucks (les roulottes). Most itineraries pair Papeete with tender-only calls at Moorea and Bora Bora. French and Tahitian are spoken; US dollars are widely accepted alongside the CFP franc.

• The name Papeete means 'water from a basket' in Tahitian — it arose from a naming taboo during King Pōmare I's reign when the usual word for water (vai) was substituted with the archaic word pape.
• Papeete is the capital of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France, meaning it lies in the Pacific but its residents are French citizens who use the CFP franc.
• The city serves as the hub of French Polynesian tourism and is a key port of call for transpacific cruises, with cruise ships anchoring in its famous lagoon.
• Both the President of French Polynesia and the French High Commissioner reside in Papeete, making it the political heart of the 118-island archipelago.
• The historic Papeete market (Le Marché) is famous for its vanilla, monoi oil, black pearls, and Polynesian pareos (sarongs), drawing visitors from around the world.