Papeete Market — Attraction in Papeete

This is an awesome local market in the heart of downtown Papeete! You can find anything and everything Polynesian and Tahitian here - you’ll be shocked at how much stuff the people here are selling! There is fresh tropical fruit, vegetables and fish, Tahitian vanilla beans and vanilla products, Polynesian fabrics, souvenirs (t-shirts, cups, carvings, shells, etc.), pearl jewelry (both real and artificial), French food and Tahitian food (beignets, smoothies, pastries and more), and I could go on and on! The market is two floors and it is massive - you could spend a long time here if you really wanted to. Do be aware the market has different sellers on different days of the week, so if you’re in Papeete for multiple days, it’s worth going several times to see if you can find anything different being sold!

When I visited, I felt very safe - it’s quite a lot different from markets in Asia, for instance, where you’re clutching your bag because you’re scared someone will take it. This market has a more laid-back atmosphere (less hectic than Asia), and there is no bargaining obviously. It’s much more “official”, it’s a lot cleaner, and all the sellers are much nicer than what you may expect. All in all, I was very pleased with the Papeete Market on the days I went, and I will definitely visit again when I’m...

Wow! Such incredible local Tahitian products! Huge selection and variety!

Downstairs we visited a stall where we purchased 3 bottles of Monoi oil ($5US ea), 3 bags of vanilla powder ($10US ea), 1 jar of Vanilla bean paste ($15US) and a 7 pack of vanilla bean pods ($25 US) which smelled incredibly aromatic. The young man threw in a complimentary bar of Tahitian vanilla soap.

We then went upstairs in search of a set of matching his/hers Tahitian Black Pearl bangles or bracelets. Not knowing what we were looking for, we hoped to get inspiration from the window displays.

We came across the Laura Perles shop and immediately found what we were looking for! The most unique design with a his and a hers matching set! Black silicone band with two decent sized black pearls! We decided to find something for our 20 year old daughter and loved a suggested necklace (choker style) with the same black silicone material and a single black Pearl (bookended with a rough turquoise on each end). The attention to detail was exemplary because the ends of each side of the choker also had a unique setting.

Definitely recommend visiting the downstairs area of the market for souvenirs and upstairs visit Laura Perles boutique for high quality Pearl...

Good market with lots of decent food from the stalls for low prices. I tried the crèpes, and a sandwich that worked out to $4-5 each. And? They even had a boba stall!! Great selection of fruits and veg, and the fish looks amazing!

Some of the touristy stuff is even pretty nice and also inexpensive; think pearl jewelry, hand-woven bags/purses, essential oils, soaps, vanilla, and more.

Only drawback is there are no places to eat near the food stalls, and the upstairs restaurants chase you away. There are stairs and a few standing tables, but I’m pretty sure I saw some kinda drug deal go down. That being said, I never felt uncomfortable or even remotely threatened.

Also, the stall hawkers in the market proper we’re nearly universally charming and friendly. 5 stars if there were places to sit and eat. And even though it technically closes at 4:00 (16:00), get there by 3 at the latest. Even then, many of the food stalls...