Teahupo'o

About this place

Teahupo'o is a small village on the south-west coast of the Tahiti Iti peninsula of Tahiti, French Polynesia, about 47 km in a straight line south-east of Papeete. It has about 1,500 people and is reached by a single one-lane road. The village is famous worldwide for its huge wave, which breaks over a shallow coral reef offshore and forms thick blue barrels counted among the most powerful and dangerous waves in the world. It hosts international surfing competitions, and the surfing events of the 2024 Summer Olympics were held here. The wave is hard to see well from the shore because it breaks on the distant reef, so visitors take small boats from the village landing to watch the surfers up close on days when the swell is big. At the end of the road a coastal path continues, and the wild, forested mountains of Tahiti Iti rise behind the village. Visiting the village is free, while boat trips are paid. The biggest waves usually come from May to September, and the wave is very dangerous and suitable only for expert surfers.