Moorea
Jagged Green Island Facing Tahiti Across The Sea Of The Moon, With Cook'S And Opunohu Bays And A Wide Lagoon, 30 45 Minutes By Ferry From Papeete · Papetoai, French Polynesia
Moorea lies just across the channel from Tahiti, close enough that its sawtooth peaks fill the view from Papeete, and a ferry crossing takes only about half an hour to 45 minutes. The island is roughly triangular, with two deep bays cut into its north coast, Cook's Bay and Opunohu Bay, divided by Mount Rotui, and a lagoon wrapped round the whole shore. Inland, the Opunohu valley holds restored marae stone temples, pineapple fields and an agricultural school that sells juice and jam, and a winding road climbs to the Belvedere lookout over both bays. In the lagoon, boat tours stop at a shallow spot where rays and blacktip reef sharks gather, a practice some people question because the animals have long been fed there. From about July or August to October, humpback whales pass outside the reef and licensed boats go to watch them under set rules. Moorea is greener, calmer and cheaper than Bora Bora, with both family guesthouses and resorts, and it works as a day trip from Tahiti, though a few nights let you see much more of it.
Moorea, Windward Islands, French Polynesia, Papetoai, French Polynesia, France
Moorea has no gates or opening hours as a destination; the coast road, the public beaches, the Belvedere lookout and the marae of the Opunohu valley are open land you can visit in daylight. The practical timetable is the ferry. The Aremiti and Terevau ferries between Papeete and the Vaiare quay run several times a day, more often on weekdays and at the start and end of the working day, with fewer sailings on Sundays and holidays; confirm current schedules with each company, and note that very rough seas can cancel crossings. Short flights to the small airport at Temae may also run, but confirm whether they are operating. Lagoon tours, dive boats and whale watching trips mostly leave in the morning and early afternoon and are weather dependent; whale trips only run in the season, roughly July or August to October. The agricultural school's shop in the Opunohu valley and the fruit juice factory near Cook's Bay open on weekdays and some weekend days, and close on public holidays; check before going. Shops and supermarkets close early on Saturday and much of Sunday, and many small restaurants close one or two days a week, so book dinner and ask about pick-ups. Car and scooter hire desks at the ferry quay open around the ferry arrivals.