Matavai Bay

Matavai Bay, on the north coast of Tahiti near Point Venus, was the anchorage for many of the earliest European expeditions to the island, including those of Wallis, Cook and Bligh. It was here that observers came to record the 1769 transit of Venus, and where much early contact between Europeans and Tahitians took place, including events leading to the mutiny on the Bounty. The broad bay backed by a black-sand shore is a landmark of Pacific exploration history. Today it is a quiet, scenic stretch of coast rich in historical association.