Fodor's Expert Review Puna'auia

This, another densely populated commune of Pape'ete, is both a town and the general name of the area that stretches for several miles from around PK11 to PK18. There's a good beach, the Lagoonarium (an aquarium in the lagoon), two resorts—Sofitel Tahiti Resort and Le Méridien Tahiti (separated by about 4 mi)—and the Museum of Tahiti and her Islands, while the township itself has banks, a shopping center with a huge supermarket, and a post office. The road leads to the village of Paea (PK22) which is the spot to stop to explore Marae Arahurahu.