French Polynesia · PF

Plage de Punui

Plage de Punui—often written Puunui—is a public beach and swimming spot on the wilder east coast of Tahiti's Presqu'île (the peninsula), in the commune of Taiʻarapu-Ouest, near the village of Toahotu. Far from a resort lawn, it is one of the peninsula's favourite weekend escapes for local families: a wide stretch of pale sand meeting a sheltered bay, where Polynesians come to swim, picnic under the shade and let children paddle. The beach takes its name from the old Marina de Puunui and its beach pavilion that stand at the edge of the sand. Built years ago to serve a seaside hotel that has since closed, the marina still gives the bay its deep, calm, almost lagoon-like water—a protected pocket that fills up every Saturday and Sunday.