Place Tarahoi

Place Tarahoi Review

Once the compound of Tahiti's 19th-century royal family, today it's the center of French Polynesia's territorial government. The square houses the French Polynesian Assembly (Mon.-Fri. 9-5) on one block and the elaborate Presidential Palace (by appointment only), with expansive gardens and fountain, on another. Nearby is a memorial to Tahitian World War I hero and Tahitian independence advocate Pouvanaa o Oopa (1895-1977). Although this area has witnessed many political demonstrations in recent years, it's incredibly peaceful on weekends and even roosters and chickens roam freely just beyond the impressive palace gates.