In light of the current global emergence of the Zika virus, we report the epidemiological and clinical data from the outbreak that occurred in French Polynesia (Pacific region) between October 2013 and March 2014. Data from syndromic sentinel surveillance, using an original case definition, combined with molecular biology-based diagnosis, enabled surveillance of the outbreak and the description of confirmed clinical cases. The first clusters of "rash syndromes" were detected in early October 2013, and the Zika virus was identified by the Louis Malardé Institute on October 30, 2013. During the six-month epidemic, it was estimated that a total of 32,000 suspected cases sought medical care (11.5% of the population), with a peak reached as early as the 8th week. The most frequently reported clinical signs for the 297 confirmed and investigated cases were: maculopapular rash (93%), asthenia (78%), perceived fever (72%), arthralgia (65%), and conjunctival hyperemia (63%). The average duration of the acute episode was six days. Neurological or autoimmune complications suspected of being linked to Zika virus infection were observed during the outbreak. In particular, 42 cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome were reported, for which a causal link was subsequently established. This outbreak was the first major Zika outbreak to be comprehensively described and to cause severe forms of the disease. The Zika virus strain that emerged in French Polynesia spread to the rest of the Pacific in 2014 and is likely the one that has been circulating in the Americas since 2015.