Bike touring French Polynesia may not be on your cycling bucket list, but it definitely should be.
We recently returned from a weeklong bike tour to French Polynesia—a destination known more for its luxurious overwater cabanas than cycling. Prior to our tour, we found very little information online about cycling in this remote Pacific paradise, so we’re sharing our best tips, tricks, and lessons learned from our week on the islands.
After finding a $500 roundtrip flight deal from San Francisco, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to cycle through French Polynesia. We knew it wouldn’t be a traditional bike tour—small islands offer far fewer route options compared to traversing continents—but we didn’t care. Escaping the winter to cycle in a lush, tropical paradise was everything we needed!
We weren’t sure what to expect when we arrived in Papeete, Tahiti to start our tour, but our week on the islands couldn’t have gone better. Although it wasn’t a normal bike tour by any means (most of our rides were to and from the beach!), it was undoubtedly the most beautiful, remote place I’ve ever cycled through.
Most cyclists have probably never considered French Polynesia as a bike touring destination, but there is much more to the islands than lounging at a resort.
Like anywhere else in the world, the best way to discover French Polynesia is by bike, and here’s our guide to cycling in French Polynesia.
Can you really bike tour in French Polynesia?
Unlike Spain, France, and the Netherlands, French Polynesia is not a popular bike tour destination. It makes sense—after all, routes on small islands are limited and getting from island to island requires ferries or flights.
While you certainly won’t be hitting any 150 mile days in French Polynesia, you shouldn’t write off the region as a bike tour. It’s one of the world’s most breathtaking destinations and offers not only gorgeous bike routes, but a plethora of other exciting activities like snorkeling, hiking, and diving.
Therefore, it’s best to look at a French Polynesia bike tour as “bike touring lite”. It’s possible to stay in one Airbnb or hotel the entire week and do day rides, only using your panniers when traveling from island to island.
While not a traditional bike tour, it still offers the chance to discover a unique destination by the power of two wheels!
Island by island: bike infrastructure in French Polynesia
French Polynesia comprises over 118 islands and atolls. There are 7 main islands, all of which are located in the Society Islands chain. They are Tahiti, Mo’orea, Raiatea, Huahine Iti, Huahine Nui, Taha’a, and Bora Bora.
The cycling infrastructure can vary significantly from island to island. Most roads will be paved, but the existence of bike lanes and quiet routes can differ. Before planning a bike tour in French Polynesia, you should familiarize yourself with the cycling conditions on each island.
Tahiti
Tahiti is the main island of French Polynesia—it’s where 70% of the population lives. It’s also the largest and home to Mount ‘Orohena, the region’s tallest mountain peak. Due to its size and population, roads on the island can be hectic and unfavorable to cyclists.
We encountered very little bicycle infrastructure on the island aside from a short walking path near the port downtown. Frankly, even though the island has fantastic surfing, black sand beaches, and lush green valleys, we couldn’t wait to escape the hustle and bustle in favor of more tranquil road conditions.
That being said, you may be able to find nice mountain bike routes on Tahiti. Additionally, much quieter cycling is found on the opposite end of Tahiti from Papeete (Tahiti Iti).
Mo’orea
Mo’orea is the best island for cycling in French Polynesia. The island has a 60km (37 mile) ring road that has been recently paved with a bike lane on both sides. The bike lane is present for the vast majority of the mostly flat road.
The bike lane is widely used by locals on Mo’orea as both a bike path and sidewalk. We found that motorists were very patient when driving past us as we cycled. I felt extremely safe on the roads in Mo’orea.
Funny enough, the most “dangerous” situation I encountered was failing to see a large breadfruit in the middle of the road until it was too late. This resulted in the fruit exploding all over my tires and frame! I had to laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation and continue on with the ride.
Other than the ring road, there is a short inland detour you can take between Cook’s Bay and ‘Ōpūnohu Bay. This section does not have a bike lane but it was quiet and offered beautiful views of the island’s jagged mountain peaks. It also leads to the famous Belvedere lookout.
The other islands
We did not visit Bora Bora, Hauhine, Raiatea, or Taha’a on our bike tour. While Tahiti and Mo’orea are located near each other, reaching the other islands requires a short flight or longer, more infrequent ferry. It appears the company Apetahi Express offers ferries from Papeete to the other Society Islands and allows bicycles for an extra cost.
Bora Bora is known worldwide as a romantic getaway. The fully paved, relatively quiet ring road is only 32 km (20 miles) long, making it a quick day ride. Nonetheless, Bora Bora offers some of the most incredible views in all of French Polynesia.
Raiatea and Taha’a are located in the same lagoon. They are the least visited of the Society Islands and offer quiet cycling conditions. Taha’a in particular offers very little traffic on its recently paved roads, although a bike lane is not present like in Mo’orea.
Huahine Iti and Huahine Nui are two islands connected by a short bridge. You will encounter more hills when looping the two islands compared to the relatively flat ring roads of the other islands, especially en route to the island’s scenic Belvedere lookout.
Concerns when biking in French Polynesia
Dogs
Some of the little information I found online about cycling in French Polynesia warned of aggressive dogs chasing your bike. We did not find this to be the case at all, at least on Tahiti and Mo’orea.
Whenever we encountered dogs, they completely ignored our bicycles. This was a stark contrast compared to being chased by dogs on many rides in the American south!
Bike shops
French Polynesia is extremely remote, but we found there was access to bike shops and bike parts in Tahiti and Mo’orea. Although we packed extra patches and tubes, one day’s ride found us stranded without an extra tube and an empty patch kit (oops!). Luckily, a few locals stopped to help us and point us in the right direction of a bike shop.
Of course, you should come prepared to French Polynesia for a bike tour, particularly if you’re cycling around less visited islands like Taha’a and Huahine. Keeping spare tubes, a pump, and a patch kit in your gear bag is recommended at all times.
Lights
Due to its location near the equator, daylight hours do not vary much throughout the year, with sunset around 6PM every day. Most restaurants open for dinner around 6PM, meaning you may be cycling in the dark to grab food.
Riding through quiet roads between small town on the islands was mostly dark, with just a few road lights here and there. We recommend investing in a high quality bike light before touring in French Polynesia to ensure you can see the road (and that motorists can see you).
How to get to (and around) French Polynesia with a bike
You can fly direct to French Polynesia year round from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Tokyo, Honolulu, and Auckland in addition to shorter flights from other Pacific islands. There are no direct flights to French Polynesia from Europe—you will have to connect in California first.
All international flights arrive at Fa’a’ā International Airport (PPT) in Papeete, Tahiti. Prices from the west coast of the United States to Papeete are surprisingly cheap considering the remoteness of French Polynesia.
It’s common to find roundtrip direct flights from California to Tahiti for $500-750, especially when traveling during the off-season. We traveled from San Francisco to French Polynesia with French Bee for only $250 each way.
Bike fees can vary by airline, so it’s best to research the bicycle policies on airlines before booking. French Bee, for example, charges $100 each way for bicycles. Luckily, our S&S coupler travel bikes do not incur a separate fee. We only paid the standard baggage fee of $50 each way.
Related: S&S Coupler bike & Break-Away bike: are these the best touring bikes?
Tahiti to Mo’orea ferry with a bike
Mo’orea and Tahiti are located just 45 kilometers apart and are easily accessible from each other by a 30 minute ferry. Two ferry companies run ferries between the islands: Aremiti and Terevau.
Depending on the day of the week, each company offers between 5-6 ferries per day, so there is little need to plan a ferry time in advance. You can purchase tickets online, but we found it was easier to buy tickets directly at the ferry terminal.
The ferry terminal in Tahiti is located in the center of downtown Papeete, just a 7 minute walk from the city’s main market. Biking to the ferry terminal does not have the best road conditions—the route is along a very busy road with no bike lane. However, you can ride on the wide sidewalks for extra safety.
Aremiti does not charge to bring a bicycle onboard the ferry, and you will wheel the bike into the ferry’s cargo area with scooters and vehicles. Terevau’s website states bikes cost 270 XPF each way (approximately ~$2.50 USD). We chose to travel with Aremiti.
The ferry journey takes around 25-30 minutes and offers incredible views of both Tahiti and Mo’orea. I recommend the outdoor deck for the best views, but you might also appreciate the air conditioning found inside! A snack bar is available on the ferry as well, which serves coffee, sandwiches, pastries, and other snacks.
Bike touring French Polynesia: what to pack
Just like my first bike tour, I made a few mistakes when packing for my bike tour in French Polynesia. I packed as if I would cycle 60-80 miles each day when in reality most cycling was simply to and from the beach!
Related: Bicycle tour mistakes: The rookie mistakes I made on my first cycling trip
Although I normally advise packing 2-3 cycling shirts and 2-3 padded bike shorts, you could probably get away with just one of each in French Polynesia. Most of our riding was ~20-25 mile day rides. I only bothered to wear cycling clothes while looping Mo’orea and traveling between Tahiti and Mo’orea.
I recommend packing fewer cycling outfits and more lightweight, breathable summer clothes like swimsuit cover-ups, sundresses, and t-shirts. You should also bring a long sleeve, lightweight shirt—the sun is extremely strong on the islands. Wearing a long sleeve shirt can help prevent painful sunburns on your forearms while cycling.
As far as footwear, a pair of cycling shoes and a pair of flip flops will do.
Lastly, don’t forget to pack a snorkel mask! Although it adds extra weight when cycling, you don’t want to miss out on the underwater world in French Polynesia.
Bike touring French Polynesia: where to stay
Accommodation in French Polynesia will not be as affordable as touring through Thailand or Turkey. However, we were surprised by how easy it was to find budget-friendly accommodation. If you look beyond the overwater bungalows you can find a wide selection of small, family-run hotels and Airbnbs.
Camping is not very common on the islands. In Mo’orea there is a campground, Camping Nelson, that has a few tent sites priced at around 1,700-1,800 XPF ($16 USD). The campground is located next to one of my favorite beaches on the island, Hauru Beach. If you don’t want to bring your camping gear, we advise budgeting for a hotel, hostel, or Airbnb.
If you’re interested in a low-key, quiet stay, search for pensions, which are family-run accommodations in French Polynesia. Hospitality is a high priority for the families that run the pension. You will be welcomed with a comfortable, private room while learning more about local life.
A small number of hostels are found throughout the islands with both dorm and private rooms. If you’d prefer something a little more upscale, you can always find traditional hotels as well. When we planned our visit during the month of March, most basic hotels were around $150-200 per person, per night.
We ended up booking 5 nights at this Airbnb in Mo’orea for only $527 total. While it was up a small hill, you couldn’t beat the price and the location near Cook’s Bay. It had a nice yard for storing our bikes in addition to a kitchen and small pool.
Most tourists stay in Papeete on your first or last day; we stayed at Tea Tahiti Holidays and would recommend it. The owners were friendly and there was ample space to build our bikes on our room’s back patio.
What (and where) to eat when bike touring French Polynesia
Of course, one of the best parts of bike touring is trying local cuisine, and you won’t be disappointed with the food in French Polynesia. It far exceeded any expectations we had and proved to be an excellent diet for biking (and lounging at the beach).
The blend of Polynesian culture with East Asian and French influence creates an interesting fusion cuisine. You won’t have any trouble finding fresh seafood—both raw and cooked—and you’ll also find crepes, croissants, stir fries, and rice dishes. In fact, it’s common to see locals walking or biking with a massive baguette in hand anywhere in the country!
Unsurprisingly, the blend of cuisines makes dining in French Polynesia a delectable experience, whether indulging in a chocolate banana crepe or barbeque tuna sandwich.
Here are our top recommendations for what (and where) to eat in Tahiti and Mo’orea.
Roulettes
By far, the best places to eat in French Polynesia are at roulettes. These are no-frills food trucks offering affordable dishes in a range of cuisines. Over the course of our week in French Polynesia, we ate almost exclusively at roulettes. We dined on grilled tuna, chow mein, french fries, crepes, and smoothies.
Prices at roulettes will typically be significantly lower than at restaurants. Plus, we found the food to be of incredible quality. The convenience of stopping at a casual food truck cannot be beat while on a bike tour, and it’s where all the locals eat. In Mo’orea at least, we found that most indoor restaurants catered almost exclusively to tourists.
In Tahiti, you can’t miss the food truck park at Place Vai’ete, a public square near the city’s cruise ship dock. Around 6 or 7 food trucks set up shop here each evening. They serve everything from savory crepes to noodle soups.
Mo’orea has a range of food trucks as well. Here were our favorites from our 5 days on the island:
- Kaylakea Moz Food: unbeatable fish sandwiches with your choice of 4 sauces for only $5 USD
- Chez Matairii: Polynesian and Asian fusion restaurant with tasty stir fries
- Snack Teanahei: grilled fish, chicken, and steak served with french fries and rice with beautiful ocean views
- Crêperie Cook Cafe: delightful sweet and savory crepes in Cook’s Bay
- Laorana Smoothies: refreshing smoothies made with fresh, tropical fruit
Papeete Market
Tahiti’s main market, located in the middle of downtown, is a must-see attraction for all visitors to French Polynesia. It’s organized chaos at its finest and was my favorite thing to do in the city.
The market is open from sunrise to around 4PM each day, aside from Saturday and Sunday where it closes at 1PM and 10AM respectively. It is where many local Tahitians buy and sell produce, fish, and ready-made food. There’s also a large souvenir area set up for tourists.
Like any bike tourists, we’re food-motivated on a tour to refuel our energy after a long ride. The Papeete Market is the perfect place to do this. We thoroughly enjoyed the market’s omelette baguette sandwiches and sweet crepes. However, it would be hard to go wrong with any option at the market!
Supermarkets in French Polynesia
Another convenient food option while touring in French Polynesia is to pick up food at supermarkets. Supermarket prices were relative to what you would find in the US or western Europe. We stopped several times for a quick lunch of fresh baguettes with cheese and deli meat.
Food markets are scattered along the islands and even the smallest should sell breads, cheeses, and fruits.
