Point Venus — Pointe Vénus, or Tahara'a — is the northernmost cape of Tahiti, about 15 km east of Papeete. The setting is one of the prettier on the island: a curving black-sand beach, a 25-metre 1867 lighthouse (visited by Robert Louis Stevenson, designed by his cousin), and a small monument marking the site of Cook's 1769 observatory.
A signposted park has shaded picnic spots under the ironwood trees and a few craft stalls. The swimming is decent if a bit cloudy, and the beach is popular with local families at weekends. A bus from Papeete to the village of Mahina takes 30 minutes; from the bus stop it's a 10-minute walk to the point.