Boat rides from Saipan to the 22nd Annual Tinian Hot Pepper Festival in the Marianas next month are now available for booking.
The festival – affectionately called “Pika (spicy) Fest” by locals – is organized by the Marianas Visitors Authority (MVA) in cooperation with the Tinian Mayor’s Office and will be held on Feb. 13-14, 2026, at the Fiesta Grounds in San Jose, Tinian, bringing food, fun, and flaming-hot island flavor to the island. The festival honors the island’s small but mighty donni’ sali, a hot pepper so fiery and flavorful that it has become a cultural icon of Tinian itself.
Pika Fest Boat Charters are available on Feb. 12-15 for $50 one way or $80 round trip per person. Boats depart Saipan at 8 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 3 p.m. and depart Tinian at 9:45 a.m., 1:15 p.m., and 4:45 p.m. For reservations, contact James Roberto at 670.285.3110. STAR Marianas and Micronesian Air Connection Services operate ten-minute commuter flights between the islands.
The Pika Fun Run 5K will be held on Feb. 14 at 6:30 a.m., with on-site registration starting at 6 a.m. at Jones Beach adjacent to the Fiesta Grounds. Registration is $15, and the first 100 registrants on the day will receive a Pika Fun Run 5K t-shirt. The short course will traverse historic Broadway Ave. constructed by the U.S. Seabees during War War II. For more information about the race, contact race co-organizer Tinian Jr./Sr. High School JROTC Battalion at 670.433.7682.
Vendors will be open for lunch on Feb. 13, with the festival firing up full force from 6-11 p.m.. On Saturday, following the early morning Pika Run Run 5K, festival activities will run from 12-11 p.m. Festivalgoers can look forward to food sales, live entertainment, competitions, arts and crafts, and more.
Tinian is known for its diverse historic sites – including the latte stone monoliths of the ancient Chamorro people, shrines and other ruins from the Japanese administrative era, and North Field – the busiest airport in the world during World War II. Pristine beaches, quiet roadways, and friendly locals add to the feeling of stepping outside of time. The celebration is steps away from the picturesque Jones Beach and the historic House of Taga, a U.S. National Historic Landmark featuring latte stones found nowhere else in the world other than the Marianas.
Free camping will be available at Jones Beach and Taga Beach, (with toilets, barbecue pits, and outdoor showers), as well as a 10-minute walk away at nearby Tachogna Beach (with barbecue pits, outdoor showers, and toilets).
Hotel accommodations on Tinian include: Bay View Hotel, Flametree Villa, Fleming Hotel, Lorilynn’s Hotel, Lucky Homes Hotel, Marpo Valley Inn, Tinian Ocean View, Tinian Diamond Hotel and Casino, Tinian Diamond Suites, and Tinian Western Lodge Hotel.
For more information, contact Tinian Field Operations Supervisor Vida Borja at vborja@mymarianas.com or 1.670.433.9365, MVA Community Projects Coordinator Sherman Santos at ssantos@mymarianas.com, or the Tinian Mayor’s Office at 1.670.433.1802 Follow Marianas Visitors Authority on Instagram at @marianas.visitors.authority or on Facebook at @marianasvisitorsauthority for additional details as confirmed.
