Photos courtesy of Tahiti Tourisme

The French, who first came upon Tahiti in 1768, immediately called it LA NOUVELLE CYTHERE. New Cythera, the earthly paradise. After the English came, the name reverted to Tahiti, but that first impression, that the islands now called French Polynesia are a Garden of Eden, remains. There are few other regions on Earth which contain such a blend of natural and human beauty.

La Polynesie Française is a world of islands strewn across an ocean territory the size of Western Europe. All the islands except one - Rapa, the most southerly- lie between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Equator. Within that zone is a galaxy of atolls, the Tuamotus, whose coral strands are no higher above sea level than a pandanus shrub. To the north-east there are the distant Marquesas Islands, whose mountains, canyons and cataracts have a spectacular grandeur. There are the lonely Austral Islands- the southernmost group- which are almost untouched by European civilisation, and in the centre of this vast oceanic region is Tahiti, the spellbinding island of legend and love. All these islands are volcanic in origin, born of eruptions which occurred over a “hot spot” in the central Pacific millions of years ago. The atolls are the oldest islands, being the sunken remnants of once-high volcanic peaks like Tahiti and its nearest neighbour, Moorea.

Tahiti and Her Islands span 4 million km2 of ocean - an area as large as Europe. Each island possesses its own unique personality, based on the location (from 5 to 10 degrees South of the Equator for the Marquesas and all the way to the Tropic of Capricorn for the Gambiers). Tahiti now possesses a biosphere reserve located in the Tuamotu archipelago in the commune of Fakarava which has been recognised by UNESCO since 1977. Protecting whales and dolphins in its entire economic zone, French Polynesia has been classified as a marine mammal sanctuary since May 2002. The luxurious vegetation, untouched beaches, deserted coves and abundant fruit trees are part of the mystique of the islands.

Hinano was born in the heart of the South Pacific with strong Polynesian roots. Hinano Tahiti, is the name of a beautiful white, tropical flower. Hinano is also a lovely Tahitian name, the famous + 50 years old beer of Tahiti, and today Hinano is the brand of a new surfwear line inspired by the island life style with a touch from paradise.