The best snorkeling beach in Tahiti lagoon paradise

Snorkeling in Tahiti lagoon paradise

Tahiti lagoon is a paradise for snorkeling, as all you have to do is wear your snorkeling gear, and go in the water - no more!

Protected by a coral reef, the Tahiti lagoon paradise and its perfect transparent clear blue water is an amazing place to snorkel, as it safe, and has close to ideal weather all year round, only a little more hot and humid in summer, but still good enough to snorkel.

Best snorkeling beach Tahiti

The best snorkeling beach Tahiti is the only white sand beach of the island, which has an official name of Vaiava, but is called locally PK18, referring to the 18th kilometer mark from Papeete, the capital.

It is situated in Puna'Auia, and oriented to the west, which also offers amazing sunsets on the Pacific ocean after a nice day snorkeling. It is located at about an half hour drive from the capital, Papeete, and is the best place around for Papeete snorkeling.

Long enough to have enough space for everybody even during a buy day such as a bank holiday during touristic season, there is no need to worry about find a spot there to lay down your towel.

However, as it is a public beach, there are no beach clubs, or sellers of any kind - which is great for relaxation, as nobody will bother you trying to sell you there stuff, but can't be difficult in case you forgot something, such as bringing water to drink between two break from snorkeling in the Tahiti lagoon paradise.

Therefore, when going to the best snorkeling beach Tahiti at PK18, do not forget to come prepared and have with you everything you need to spend the day there, including an umbrella or a parasol, as their will be no protection from the sun on the beach.

Access to the best snorkeling beach in Tahiti

There are public car parks on both sides of the beach, as the PK18 beach, like all beaches in Tahiti, is a public beach, and can be accessed for free by anybody.

It can also be accessed from the Tahiti Ia Ora beach resort managed by Sofitel, which has a direct access to one end of the Vaiava beach.

Another way to enjoy the best snorkeling beach Tahiti is to stay at a nearby accomodation, such as the amazing Carlton Plage residence, which even have two private gates to access Tahiti's best snorkeling beach directly from its backyard.

Snorkeling in PK18 Vaiava beach

With an amazing water temperature, going in the water of the best snorkeling beach Tahiti is always easy, only have to wear mask, and eventually fins to snorkel better, but it is even not so necessary as it is pretty easy to snorkel in the Tahiti lagoon paradise, making it one of the best snorkeling spots in the world.

The waters are most of the time transparent clear blue, and allow for great fish spotting right next to the beach itself.

There are plenty of fishes in the sea, and the best snorkeling beach Tahiti, which is unsupervised, don't require to book any tour - it is all free and requires no transportation from the beach!

Isn't it one of the best snorkeling beaches in the world?

Simply bring your snorkelling equipment, and, if you don't have any, see below our guide to buy some.

Where to get snorkeling gear in Tahiti

There are several shops where you can get snorkeling gear.

The Cheap shop Tahiti pas cher, meaning cheap Tahiti, which has lot of cheap options, and is the one we recommend visiting.

In the Moana Nui mall, you will find plenty of shops, including a Carrefour supermarket and some smaller sport and accessories shops, which all will sell some useful equipment, but might be overpriced,

The Municipal market, which might have some cheap equipment, but maybe not everything you need for a day at the beach.

We recommend visiting the cheap shop Tahiti pas chear, which offers great deals and generally has a large enough selection of all kind of equipment. By the way, you can literraly get everything you need for cheap there, including snorkeling gear to visit the best snorkeling beach Tahiti like snorkeling mask and swimming fins.

Also, it has all the beach equipment you need like beach umbrella, towels, sun block, inflatable toys and of course your pool noodle, which is very important when swimming on the Tahiti lagoon paradise - most people have one to enjoy the perfect waters!

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes a beach in Tahiti ideal for snorkeling, and what kind of marine life can snorkelers expect to see?

Ideal snorkeling beaches in Tahiti have clear, calm waters, vibrant coral reefs, and diverse marine life. Snorkelers can expect to see colorful fish, rays, and sometimes sea turtles in these pristine lagoon waters.