Papeari is a village on the south coast of Tahiti. It is located in Tahiti-nui district,[1] around 32 miles from Papeete.[2]
Papeari is attested in some accounts as Tahiti's oldest village.[3]
Some 19th century sources attest that Papeari was formerly known as Vaiari (or Wyere), a name attributed to an indigenous group.[4] It houses a harbor with anchorage.[5]
Tourist sites in and near modern Papeari include the former home of the British novelist Robert Keable, who lived there from 1942 until his death in 1928, and a museum dedicated to the French painter Paul Gauguin, also a former resident of the area (from 1891-3).[3]