To us Tahiti usually just means repairs, shopping, doctor’s appointments and rushing off again as quickly as possible. This year we have decided to linger a bit longer. It’s winter now anyway, the mara’amu (southeasterly wind) brings cold air and it’s the perfect time of the year to hang out in the Society Islands (too cold for snorkeling in the Tuamotus and waaay too cold to sail to the Australs or Gambier–see our article “Where to go when in French Polynesia” in the “For Cruisers” section).
Once we got away from the crowded area of Papeete, Faaa and Punaauia we found pretty, lonely anchorages in the lagoons. Some passes are tricky (especially with high swell from lows far south), but it’s nice to see more of this spectacularly mountainous island.
