8 Best Places to Shop in Huahine, French Polynesia

Exotica Shop has an eclectic mixture of clothes, jewelry, and gifts, but the range is not really Polynesian. It's on the second level of a small retail complex near the tourism bureau.

Fare Super Nui is a huge supermarket that carries everything from wine and beer to milk, snorkeling gear, and clothes. It even has pigs ready for roasting. This is the hub of life in Huahine.

Huahine Pearl Farm has loose pearls and pearl jewelry, as well as pottery crafted by ex-Californian Peter Owen and his Tahitian-born wife Ghislaine. Take the free boat transfer over to the motu off the village of Faaie, which leaves every 15 minutes.

Local Style has a colorful range of surf gear including the Tahitian label, Hinano. There also are shorts, shirts, and bikinis.

A short drive from Pension Mauarii, this small "corner store" sells beer, water, soft drinks, ice cream, packaged snacks, and a small range of groceries such as tinned food and eggs.

Magasin Vaimoe is just one of several small "corner stores" that dot the island's main road. Usually called Magasins, they sell water, beer, snacks, and a limited (and often quite expensive) range of groceries.

French artist Bertho Franck hand paints pareos in a little studio tucked away in a garden on the main road, a few miles away from Pension Mauarii. They are priced from 2,080 to 2,500 CFP. Just ring to see if it's open, or drive down—it's only 20 to 30 minutes from Fare by car and very scenic.

Vivi et Vonvon is a restaurant with a small bookshop attached that specializes in children's books and books on French Polynesia—most are in French.