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Moorea

Visible from Papeete's waterfront, and 17 kilometres away by a half-hour ferry.

French PolynesiaCapital: Afareaitu

RomanceDiving SnorkelingAdventureEco Conscious

Moorea is the mountain you look at from Tahiti. The channel between them is about 17 kilometres wide and the ferry crosses it in roughly half an hour, which makes the island a day trip that most people extend, since it has the scenery Tahiti is assumed to have and Tahiti mostly does not.

Two deep bays, Cook's and Opunohu, cut into the north coast; they are drowned valleys, cut when the sea stood lower and flooded when it rose. The ridge between them climbs to the Belvédère lookout, with Mount Rotui standing between the two inlets. The Opunohu valley behind holds restored marae, the stone temple platforms used before missionaries arrived, and the fields around them still grow pineapple.

Quick facts

Currency

XPF

CFP franc

Language

French

+ Tahitian

Power

—

Driving

Right

US-style

Airport

MOZ

Moorea Temae

Emergency

—

Police · Fire

When to go

Monthly breakdown

Storm risk: Moderate

Jan

Rain

Feb

Rain

Mar

Rain

Apr

Rain

May

Best

Jun

Best

Jul

Best

Aug

Best

Sep

Best

Oct

Best

Nov

Rain

Dec

Rain

Best monthsRainy season

Major events

Feb

Moorea Blue Marathon

A road marathon around the north of the island run in February, small enough that entry stays open close to the date.

Sporting

Jul

Heiva i Moorea

The island's own Heiva, smaller and more local than Papeete's, with dance competition and outrigger racing in Opunohu Bay.

Cultural

Nov

Matarii i ni'a

The rising of the Pleiades, marking the start of the season of abundance in the Polynesian calendar, revived as a cultural observance with offerings and chant.

Cultural

Hidden gems

Viewpoint

Belvedere Lookout

The road up the Opunohu valley ends at a platform between Cook's Bay and Opunohu Bay with Mount Rotui splitting the view. Go early; cloud usually closes it in by mid-afternoon.

Waterfall

Afareaitu Waterfall

An inland fall on the east coast reached by a rough track and a short river walk. Flow varies a lot with rain, so it is worth asking in the village before making the trip.

Historical

Marae Titiroa

Stone temple platforms in the Opunohu valley, part of a cluster of over 500 archaeological structures mapped in the forest above the plantations. The walk between them is signposted.

Local food

Moorea pineapple

dietary_tags.vegan

A small, low-acid variety grown in the Opunohu valley and pressed at the island distillery; sweet enough to eat core and all.

Poe banane

dietary_tags.vegetarian

Banana cooked with starch into a set pudding, cut into squares and served cold under coconut cream.

Mahi mahi vanille

Mahi mahi in a cream sauce made with Tahitian vanilla, a bean fatter and more floral than the Madagascan kind.

Safety tips

Nature

Stonefish and stinging coral sit in the shallows where people walk out to swim. Reef shoes remove nearly all of the risk.

Transport

The ferry from Papeete is the main link and runs to a tight schedule that closes boarding early. Missing the last sailing means a night in Tahiti.

Water-Safety

Currents run hard through the reef passes at Opunohu and Cook's Bay on a falling tide. Stay inside the lagoon markers when snorkelling without a boat.