Rainforest interior — The green climbs fast here, and the trails begin before the road ends.

Taniti’s rainforest is the lush tropical interior that makes the island feel bigger than it looks on a map. Trails range from easy walks near the edges to harder hikes that climb into damp, shaded country where the air changes with every turn. You do not come here for a single marquee sight; you come for the sense that the island opens up once you step under the canopy.

Mara says to start early, before the heat settles in and the afternoon rain rolls over the trees like it owns the place. That is the lived-in trick: the forest is beautiful, but it is also practical, wet, and always a little ahead of your schedule. If you want to hear the island wake up, this is where you do it.