Tahiti Weather

About the author, Michael Cottam Founder of Visual Itineraries, Michael lives in Bend, Oregon. He's an avid traveler, scuba diver, photographer, and a private pilot, and also the founder of Bright Yonder, which offers marketing tools to travel agents. He's been to Fiji, Thailand, Vietnam, Seychelles, Kenya, France, England, New Zealand, Jamaica, Belize, Costa Rica, Turks & Caicos, British Virgin Islands, Mexico, and the major islands in French Polynesia. He's been in Rotary for 22 years, currently on the board of the Greater Bend Rotary Club. Here's his LinkedIn and Pinterest.

Tahiti Weather: High Season vs. Low Season

During the high season, temperatures are milder and there are fewer rain showers with less humidity, and better visibility for divers. However, there are two or three times as many tourists per resort – thus increasing demand for sightseeing activities and prices for lodging and events.

Throughout the slower months, the costs are lower and there is less competition for spots on popular tours. Additionally, just because it’s off season it doesn’t mean the sun completely disappears! Tahiti still receives warming rays, although consecutive days of rain are possible.

Tahiti Weather: Average temperatures

The annual average temperature in Tahiti is 80 degrees Fahrenheit, or 27 degrees Celsius. Closer to the equator, the Tuamotu Atolls and the Marquesas Islands have slightly warmer temperatures than Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora.

During the high season, or winter, temperatures range from 70-82 degrees Fahrenheit, while in the low season, summer, temperatures vary from 70-85 degrees Fahrenheit. December and January average 12 inches of rain a month, however, Tahiti receives more hours of sun than Hawaii during the comparable humid season. Less than three inches of rain fall per month from June through September.

Tahiti Weather: Average precipitation

TRAVEL SPECIAL: InterContinental Tahiti Resort

InterContinental Tahiti Resort & Spa 5 nights from 2,345 per person

The Intercontinental Resort basks in the heart of a magnificent 30 acre park on the edge of a stunning lagoon. Local architecture is harmoniously integrated among the gardens and coconut groves. Two infinity swimming pools, one of which is sand bottomed, face the lagoon and blue ocean which is marked on the horizon by the silhouette of Moorea.

Two restaurants cater to your dining pleasure – the overwater 'Lotus' for a light lunch or gourmet dinner and the 'Tiare', in a tropical setting by the garden, where a spectacular Polynesian show is held several times a week.

Learn more about InterContinental Tahiti Resort

The resort offers 2 restaurants, 2 bars, 2 crystal clear French water swimming pools, 4 white sand beaches and a host of activities to entertain just about everyone.

Tahiti Weather: Storms in French Polynesia

The humid season in Tahiti is from November to April. Occasionally, strong storms do develop. There actually ARE NO hurricanes in Tahiti (or anywhere in the South Pacific). That's not as good news as you might think--it's because they're not called hurricanes in that region, they're called cyclones :-). But there is good news: cyclones are rare, with the last powerful one occurring in 1982. You can get some pretty dramatic heavy rainfall however--during the humid season, it will often rain hard enough at night to wake you up.

High and Low Season Prices in Tahiti

The overall high season in French Polynesia extends from May 1 to October 31, although some resorts change their prices starting April 1. The low season covers November 1 to April 30.

TRAVEL SPECIAL: Le Tikehau by Pearl Resorts

Tikehau Pearl Beach Resort 5 nights from 4,250 per person

Maeva! Welcome!

Le Tikehau by Pearl Resorts is the authentic Polynesian sanctuary you have been dreaming of, a confetti of simplicity on one of the most beautiful atolls in the Tuamotu Archipelago.

Relaxation and meditation, or discovery and activities: this lagoon at the end of the world is the blank page from which you can write the most beautiful journey.

In the unspoiled natural setting of a private coral islet, its 37 suites and bungalows make the Tikehau Pearl Beach Resort the only boutique hotel in the Tuamotu, combining intimacy and warmth.

Located on motu Tiano, a 15-minute boat ride from the village, Le Tikehau by Pearl Resorts reveals itself in the ocean's infinite shades of blue. Behind the pink sand beach, the wild coconut grove hides a beautiful tropical garden. You will feel transported right away in this world of exotism and serenity.

Learn more about Le Tikehau by Pearl Resorts

Considered to be one of the most beautiful atolls in Polynesia, Tikehau is a graceful oval crown of small islets within an interior lagoon 16 miles across and a pass for small boats through a coral reef.

Scuba Diving Visibility

French Polynesia's dry season has better visibility for scuba divers, as in the rainy season there's a lot more plankton.

However, that plankton brings the big pelagic creatures like whales, so you might actually PREFER to go in the wetter season. Peak visibility is going to be June through September--with visibility up to 60 meters.

If you're in the Society Islands (Bora Bora, Moorea, etc.) the visibility is actually pretty stable, at around 40 meters year-round.

Map of all Resorts in French Polynesia