My bestie Anita Ortiz and I have been on numerous trips over the past two decades that have included locations in Europe, Australia, Iceland, New Zealand, Central America, United States, and most recently, French Polynesia…specifically Tahiti. Pairing travel and trail running leads to a “better together” outcome especially when enjoyed with a like-minded adventurer.
Geography of French Polynesia
Tahiti is the largest and most populated of the 121 islands in French Polynesia, and even with that claim, it is not that big. There are two parts to Tahiti, Tahiti Nui (the main island) and Tahiti Iti (the peninsula). Only 28 miles across at the widest point, the inner portion of the main island is mostly uninhabited with very rugged terrain only accessible by four wheel drive, ATV, or hiking…and even then it entails bushwhacking as there are really no mapped roads.
It is possible to drive around the island (it’s about 60 miles), but the road around the peninsula stops on the north side at about 12 miles and a similar distance on the south side. The high point is Mont Orohena at 7352 feet.
The island of Morea in the distance.
Climate and culture of French Polynesia
Tropical best describes the climate. Temperature fluctuations are slight during the days with averages between the mid-70s and low-80s year round with the rainy season November to April. Even during the rainy season, with 3,000 hours of sunshine per year, even during the rainy season, there are days replete with sunny skies.
Even though the official language is French, English is widely spoken. Tahitian is primarily spoken by islanders and is a language like no other. In fact, I spoke to a tour guide at the airport and asked him about the Tahitian language and he, as an islander, said it was very challenging to learn and speak.
With only 13 letters in the alphabet, you’d think it would be a breeze, but not so. One word may have multiple meanings even when spelled the same, and some words can be pronounced differently depending on the context. The one word we learned was, “Ia Orana (yo-rah-nah),” which means hello.
The currency is the Pacific Franc which presently trades at about 1000 franc to $10 US. An easy way to sort out the exchange rate was to remove two zeros from any price tag and that would be the amount (roughly) in US dollars.
Enjoying the Tahitian sunset.
Food was expensive, as was lodging, and anything tourist-related including the price of a 3-mile taxi ride for the equivalent of $20 US. There were quite a few food trucks and grocery stores, and what appeared to be “pop-up restaurants.” The locations weren’t open with regular hours so unless familiar with the local schedule, it could be easy to miss out. This was relevant for grocery stores as well. Many closing by 6:00 p.m. (or earlier) and some not open for business on Sundays.
One of the best things about Tahiti, especially for this trail runner, is the absence of snakes. Some of the spots I like to visit the most are those without snakes for my fear is off the charts. There are also no poisonous insects, just annoying ants, mosquitos, and roaches. Hence, the need for bug spray for most outdoor activities.
Traveling by car
During our week-long stay, we rented a car (I’ll add the caveat that it was not a 4WD so no accessing the inner reaches of the island) and booked a VRBO right on the water so that we could enjoy kayaking, SUPing (there was a double kayak included with the rental and one stand up paddle board), and beautiful sunrises and sunsets.
A view point on the peninsula drive.
We drove the entire circumference of the island and the peninsula as far as we could go. There had been a severe storm earlier in the year which washed out portions of the island’s roadway resulting in one lane of traffic for about a mile. We had a momentary delay getting through the construction zone, but otherwise, the drive was uneventful. We stopped at some of the go-to tourist spots, but the majority of our time was spent on the trails, or doing water sports.
Variety of terrain for running
Every day we chose a different trail to explore, and sometimes we did more than one run opting for a morning and afternoon outing. Not only did we run trails, we did a few uphill road runs. The topography allowed for a lot of elevation gain, and after exploring some random streets that wound their way uphill to amazing vistas and beautiful villas, we put on our running shoes and did some hill work.
One such hill run ended up being a Strava segment. It was a 1.4-mile climb on Montee de Vaitavere from the start at Route des Plaines to the finish at a water spigot next to a church and cemetery . Total elevation gain was just over 1100 feet. Believe me, with the heat, humidity and sunshine, the climb was a gut buster.
This particular run could be extended on trail for another four miles or so on the Randonee de Vaitavere a Punaauia. We did a portion of this route, but rain turned us back. The trail became extremely slippery and we didn’t think the views would improve higher up with all the cloud cover so we opted to turn back and miss the high point of this route.
Trail markings not prevalent
Signage on trails was, for the most part, nonexistent. We relied mostly on All Trails and personal accounts from trail users to learn about an area we planned to run. At the end of one road we drove up, we found a conservation area. We parked and got out to check a sign next to a 4WD road.
Although there was no map, the sign had images of a threatened bird species (primarily due to stray cats), and information about little fire ants that apparently have been ever-present pests on the island since 2004.
Fortunately, we ran into a couple who were about to set off with their dog on a hike. We learned that there was indeed a trail that led to a river (there are lots of rivers, creeks, and streams in Tahiti) so we decided to return to this spot for a run the following day.
Even though we were prepared to run, we ended up primarily hiking. After we left the easy 4WD footing (which was almost immediately), there was single track trail, most of which was technical, steep in spots, and paired with numerous river crossings. Rivers equal insets…and lots of them. Bug spray is essential on the island (along with sunscreen).
On this particular outing, there was no chance of getting any running momentum and it was equally challenging to follow the limited marking of pink surveyor tape hanging from tree branches. There was lots of stop and go as we searched for the next piece of tape. We ended up crossing the river a final time less than two miles into the adventure with no other markings in sight, so we turned back. When we later viewed the route on Strava, it looked like the trail ended near where we turned around.
Hidden gem
One of the most enjoyable runs was at the Vaipahi Water Gardens and it was almost an afterthought. We had seen the sign and a structure for the Gardens on the roadway, but like another spot we visited, the Maraa Grotto, we thought it was just a small roadside attraction for busloads of tourists. It was not.
Trail signage at Vaipahi Water Gardens.
Of all the trails we encountered, this one was the best marked and had a wonderful variety of terrain. There was a map at the trail head and signage at every intersection. In just over three miles, we gained 900 feet and had some outstanding views of the ocean. Underfoot we experienced rocky sections, single track, wide trail under a canopied forest, a long section by a river, waterfalls, and several water crossings complete with ropes to help balance on rocks and not drop into the water.
Longest run
We did a 12+ mile out-and-back run to Lac Vaihiria , the only natural lake in Tahiti. Most often accessed on an ATV tour, the route went along the Vaihiria River and of the nearly 3000 feet of elevation gain, the last quarter mile was the steepest with grades up to 20 percent. Along the way on a mostly 4WD dirt road, there were several waterfall s, one with a nice pool to enjoy, numerous wildflowers, and several bridges crossing the river.
We ran into a couple on an ATV tour at the waterfall and pool and learned from the guide that it was a famous spot depicted in tourist literature and that a ginger flower, the re’a moeruru, produced a liquid that could be used as a shampoo. Throughout our time in Tahiti, we saw many of these ginger flowers in the forest, mostly by the water.
Thankfully this run was by the river because it got very hot and humid with zero wind. We stopped several times (mostly on the way back to the car), to cool off in the water. Coming from Colorado to Tahiti, we weren’t acclimatize to the heat which made it all the more important to take hydration and snacks on the runs and do what we could to stay cool.
Nettles and bugs galore
One location we wanted to explore was Vallée de la Fara’ura. Located on the eastern side of the island near Papehue, this was a spot that boasted waterfalls and expansive views on the upper reaches of the trail. We read a review about the route and learned that stinging nettles were part of the experience. Little did we know that the description didn’t do justice to these invasive plants complete with thorns that dug into exposed skin and stopped us in our tracks. The nettles certainly did us in.
When we parked in a field and started this run down a 4WD road past small shanties with roosters, chickens, and dogs roaming freely, we weren’t sure what we’d find. We started out along the river on the rutted road and then came upon the first of many river crossings. Since this route would be out and back, there were double the crossings.
Checking the dept of the water with an errant stick from the river bank.
We found sticks near the river bank to test the depth, provide some semblance of balance, and provide an added level of safety we thought would be a good idea to employ. We reached one crossing and encountered some construction workers. One driving a 4WD truck promptly asked us if we wanted “transport” over the river. We climbed in the truck bed and we were driven backwards through the water to the other side. This spot was only just over the tires of the vehicle so on the way back, we just walked through this crossing.
This adventure, which after about one mile ended up turning into a walk through a field of nettles, twigs, and lush forest undergrowth got the better of us. We turned around just after two miles and when we got back to the car, we realized we had bloody scratches up and down our legs. It was a good decision to turn back because we had also run into two hikers who were on the same trail and they too decided to turn back. Not only were the nettles an issue, the bugs were aplenty, and the weather seemed in question. Rain happens a lot in Tahiti and we were told by more than one local, if the river was brown or became brown, abandon your outing. Flooding can occur when unexpected rain storms prevail and strand unsuspecting runners or hikers on the trail.
Adding up the vert
On the 6-mile Heights of Vaiatu Paea route, we gained over 2,000 feet of elevation. On the 8-mile Mount Marau route, we amassed over 2,500 feet of climbing. The former location started in town (Paea), headed up a paved road where it turned onto a double-track trail in the forest. We encountered some more nettles on this trail, but not as plentiful as those in Vallée de la Fara’ura. Still, they were a nuisance.
Canopied forest in Vaiatu Paea.
This route was very diverse in terms of terrain ranging from 4WD, to single track, to canopied forest with views of the ocean below. One thing we didn’t expect was a home at the upper reaches of the trail. Granted, it was sort of a shell of a house, but we did see the owner and her dog and exchanged a greeting. There was a rudimentary irrigation system for the garden, and laundry hanging on a clothesline. Certainly a “living off the land” experience with a million dollar view.
The Mount Marau route was almost entirely 4WD. In fact, we passed a few trucks heading up to a shooting range with chains affixed to the tires. With so much mud and rutted surface, it was surprising that the trucks could even make it up the road. Again, there were excellent views along the route, wildflowers in abundance, and canopied forest sections.
Turquoise colored water in Tahiti is magnificent.
Takeaways from the trip
Tahiti was a great choice for a trail running vacation and is on the list for at least a second visit, perhaps sometime between July and November when the humpback whales are in residence. The possibility of swimming with these ocean dwellers is apparently an experience not to be missed. Just the little time we spent kayaking and SUPing was memorable. We saw turtles, manta rays, multi-colored coral, numerous tropical fish, small sharks, and even an octopus.
If the trails, water sports, and ocean views don’t tempt you to venture to Tahiti, the sunrises, sunsets and turquoise colored water certainly put a seal of approval on this destination. Consider booking a flight to this glorious island, it offers so much to enjoy and explore.
Kayaking at sunset.
Thinking about a trail running adventure abroad? Check out our article here and get some tips on packing for a trip here.
