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Papenoo, French Polynesia

Stay in Mahina: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Mahina

All 11 on Mahina's map

Watch this spot We email you when Papenoo is worth the trip.

About Papenoo

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces N (18°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (198°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 5–18 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 400 m out (1 in 38). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 27°C in July, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in January, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Mahina, 7.5 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 5 surf spots.

Water about 27°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 20 h 10 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to PPT, changing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

    See flights MDW → PPT · Skyscanner from about £535 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 40 min from the airport to Papenoo.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in MahinaAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Mahina · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Mahina · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Papenoo on Google Maps · Directions

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct83 ft5 smushy38kJ26°C
Mon 19Oct83 ft6 smushy41kJ27°C
Tue 20Oct102 ft7 smushy40kJ28°C
Wed 21Oct72 ft9 smushy49kJ24°C
Thu 22Oct62 ft9 scrumbling40kJ24°C
Fri 23Oct91 ft10 shollow29kJ26°C
Sat 24Oct41 ft10 shollow20kJ24°C
Sun 25Oct52 ft5 smushy20kJ25°C
Mon 26Oct62 ft5 smushy31kJ24°C
Tue 27Oct124 ft5 smushy73kJ24°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly MDW to PPT, changing at LAX, then 40 min by road. About 20h 10 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to PPT, changing at LAX, then 40 min by road. About 20h 10 door to door

The plan picks the best of 6 spots near Mahina each day: Orofara, Papenoo, Papenoo Rivermouth, PK15, Point Venus, Rocky Point.

The trip from Mahina, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £990–£1,910 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to PPT, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£535–£1,110
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£35–£60
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£165–£280
Food7 days eating out£155–£290
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£65–£105
Total£990–£1,910

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Mahina

  • Roulotte / Pizzeria - G&JPizza · 0.1 km from the centre
  • SODI PouletChicken · 0.5 km from the centre
  • Restaurant Yacht Club ArueSeafood · 1.8 km from the centre
  • L'Imprevu0.1 km from the centre
  • Le Patio0.4 km from the centre
  • Mana Traiteur - Centre de détente Moana1.1 km from the centre

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.