» Vanira Lodge

On Tahiti’s peninsula, in the hills above Teahupoo, Vanira Lodge is an exceptional site nestled between the mountain and the ocean, with a 180° view over the lagoon. The lodge contains 9 bungalows directly inspired by Polynesian building traditions, where raw materials are tampered with as little as possible. The limit between the inside and the outside is deliberately blurred: bathrooms have a foot in each world, living-rooms have an open balcony or, more traditionally, a bay window that opens onto a wooden deck.

LOCAL BREAK

Known as the “world’s heaviest wave”, with a thick lip and steep drop in, Teahupo’o is only for the very experienced and brave! Works best on a SW swell and there is sometimes a right-hander on a small W swell. The main hazard here is the wave and reef, but there can be crowds (boats and other surfers), strong currents and long paddles.

For beginners there is a beachbreak at the rivermouth in Teahupo’o, and other breaks such as Afaahiti, Papara, Papenoo.