Maraa Grotto

The Grottes de Maraa are a set of caves cut into the cliff beside the coast road southwest of Papeete, the largest holding a pool of clear cold water under an overhang hung with ferns and dripping constantly. A garden path links the grottoes. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote about the place, and it has been a stop on the coast road for a very long time. It is a short visit and free. The caves formed where the sea cut into the cliff when the level stood higher, and the fresh water dripping through the rock now keeps the ferns going year round.

What you'll find

• The main grotto - a pool under a fern-hung overhang dripping constantly.
• The smaller caves - the other openings linked by the garden path.
• The ferns - the growth covering the dripping rock faces.
• The garden - the planted path between the grottoes.

When to go

Year round; the grottoes are always wet. Mornings are quietest. The site is a short roadside stop at any time.

What to expect

Swimming in the pool is discouraged and the water is cold. The site is small and takes twenty minutes. It sits directly on a busy road.

Nearby

Paea is nearby, and Papeete is northeast.