In October 2013, Zika virus (genus: Flavivirus, family: Flaviviridae) appeared for the first time in French Polynesia, Southeast Pacific. During the 6 following months, this French Territory of 270,000 inhabitants distributed on 72 inhabited islands, experienced the largest ZIKV outbreak ever reported at that time, with an estimate of 30,000 clinical cases to have sought medical care. A few weeks after the beginning of the outbreak, an unusual increase in cases of Guillain Barré Syndrome was recorded. Subsequent to the emergence of ZIKV in French Polynesia, an increasing number of other Pacific islands reported ZIKV infections. In 2015, ZIKV emerged in Latin America and in a few months the world discovered the possible link between ZIKV infection in pregnant women and the subsequent occurrence of microcephaly and neurological congenital abnormalities in fetuses and babies. During the outbreak in French Polynesia, public health, medical and research staffs had to address an unexpectedly high number of issues mostly related to the large knowledge gaps on ZIKV infection and transmission. Biological diagnosis protocols were adjusted. Specific algorithms for blood donation were implemented. Potential non-vector borne transmission (perinatal, sexual) was described. A case-control study was launched to investigate a possible link between ZIKV infection and Guillain Barré Syndrome. From the end of the outbreak, efforts were made in trying to document the particular features of ZIKV emergence in French Polynesia. A serosurvey conducted on different subsets of the population collected at different time-points after the outbreak has just been finalized. Results of laboratory experiments on the ability of French Polynesian population of Aedes aegypti and Aedes polynesiensis mosquitoes to transmit ZIKV have just been made available. Because French Polynesia is two years ahead to the current global ZIKV crisis, some of the field and explorative work to be conducted there could help in addressing current and future issues related to ZIKV emergence in Latin America and at risk countries.