Nori Jemil

French Polynesia

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By Nori Jemil

JUNE 17, 2025

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French Polynesia destination overview

Mention that you've visited French Polynesia, and it will usually elicit gasps of envy with at least one person proclaiming they've always wanted to go there – often followed by an admission that they can't quite pinpoint where 'there' is, or, indeed, which islands make up the remarkable destination, beyond Tahiti. It's hardly surprising, though, given the sheer number of isles and their remote location.

A dream port of call for many, French Polynesia is the collective name for a set of island archipelagos in the South Pacific Ocean. Situated midway between Australia and South America, they're spread over a vast area, roughly the size of Europe – so large, in fact, that you'll find yourself ever-expanding a digital map to locate them. But, once you do home in on the island nation, a French overseas collectivity, you'll want to visit as many of the archipelagos as you can. It's best then to opt for a small ship cruise, and preferably an itinerary that keeps you there long enough to set foot on at least one or two of the island groups.

Made up of about 118 mostly rugged, volcanic islands and low-lying coral atolls, French Polynesia consists of five groups - the Society Islands, the Marquesas Islands, the Tuamotu Archipelago, the Austral Islands and the Gambier Islands. Most cruise itineraries will visit a few of the Society and Tuamotu Islands, while others will sail out to the remote and culturally rich Marquesas, Austral and Gambier Islands.

For decades, French Polynesia has been synonymous with reef-fringed atolls, their clear turquoise lagoons filled with brightly coloured tropical fish, straddled by luxury overwater bungalows and edged with perfect, white sand beaches. And while atolls like Bora Bora and the smaller, palm-tree-covered 'desert island' motus of the Society and Tuamotus are the epitome of this, travelling to the jutting peaks of the Marquesas or distant Australs, you'll land in an entirely different world. It's here that remoteness has allowed for culture to thrive, preserved for around 1,000 years by proud generations descended from the first Polynesian settlers, believed to have arrived by canoe from the islands of Tonga and Samoa. French Polynesia's archipelagos are scattered and diverse geographically, but its peoples and cultures are very much linked.