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Paparaa, French Polynesia

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

Also within 20 km of Papara

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

About Paparaa

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

The spot faces SW (211°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (31°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 350 m out (1 in 33). 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 February, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually December, with about 3 good days in 7; in June, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Papara, 2.8 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

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 20 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. 50 min from the airport to Paparaa.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in PaparaAd

    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 Papara · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Papara · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Paparaa on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

Paparaa does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.

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

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct704 ft12 scrumbling380kJ29°C
Mon 19Oct343 ft6 smushy63kJ29°C
Tue 20Oct353 ft11 smushy264kJ25°C
Wed 21Oct07 ft9 smushy767kJ23°C
Thu 22Oct08 ft10 smushy1,098kJ23°C
Fri 23Oct07 ft10 ssoft854kJ22°C
Sat 24Oct07 ft11 scrumbling1,279kJ23°C
Sun 25Oct08 ft11 smushy1,164kJ23°C
Mon 26Oct09 ft11 ssoft1,828kJ23°C
Tue 27Oct011 ft12 ssoft3,063kJ24°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 50 min by road. About 20h 20 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Paparaa

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 11 s, wind 6 kn (10 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to PPT, changing at LAX, then 50 min by road. About 20h 20 door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Papara each day: Paparaa, Paparaa - Outer Reefs.

The trip from Papara, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,025–£1,965 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
Hire car6 days, shared£70–£115
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£1,025–£1,965

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

Places to eat near Papara

  • Bonneville PizzaPizza · 0.8 km from the centre
  • CHEZ CO1.5 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.