Moorea, Society Islands – French Polynesia Port Review
By Nancy Norris
Moorea
Overview:
Moorea is only 10 nautical miles from Tahiti (7 minutes
by plane or 25 minutes by ferry), but its landscape is
worlds apart from neighboring Papeete's traffic jams and
hustle and bustle. The natural beauty of its jagged
peaks cloaked by lush tropical greenery and encircled by
the azure blue of the ocean and sky is everyone's dream
of Polynesia. Known as the “Magical Isle”, the
heart-shaped island of Moorea is home to approximately
12,000 people that reside along the 39 mile coastline of
white sandy beaches and small sleepy villages. Even
though luxurious five star resorts dot the island,
Moorea maintains a traditional, authentic Polynesian
charm. Quiet and less touristy than its neighboring
islands, it truly is a tropical paradise.
Magical Moorea
The local currency is the French Pacific Franc (XPF),
but many vendors will accept US dollars or Euros and
credit cards are widely accepted. French and Tahitian
are the two official languages spoken in Moorea, but
most people that deal with tourists speak English.
Moorea enjoys a mild tropical climate, mostly sunny and
pleasant. The annual average temperature is 85°F with
little variation throughout the year.
Cruise Port Location and Information:
Paul Gauguin in Cook's Bay
Cruise ships anchor in 3 different locations around the
island. Some ships anchor off the shores of the town of
Vaiare and tender guests to the island's Ferry Dock.
However, most ships anchor in scenic Cook's Bay or
occasionally Opunohu Bay and tender passengers to shore.
Cook's Bay Tender Pier
Local merchants and artists set up tables at these
tender spots whenever cruise ships are in port offering
shell and pearl jewelry, pareos, t-shirts and other
Polynesian souvenirs. If your ship ports in Cook's Bay,
the tender pier is located next to Hotel Kaveka and
within walking distance of the cluster of shops in
Maharepa.
Hotel Kaveka
Representatives for car, bicycle and scooter rental
agencies are available at the tender piers, but have
limited inventory. Other than the hotel and the influx
of local vendors that set-up temporary stands, there are
no permanent tourist facilities. The nearest ATM is
located in the shopping center in Maharepa, and others
can be found in the small shopping outposts around the
island.
Exploring on Your Own:
Moorea has many wonderful sites and activities to
explore, but doing them on your own requires advance
planning. There is a well-paved main road that
circumnavigates the 60 mile circumference of the island
making touring on your own relatively easy.
Moorea Main Road
However, there is virtually no public transportation in
Moorea. The only scheduled buses on Moorea are used to
transport passengers to and from the ferry dock in
Vaiare and students to and from school. There are only
21 taxis on the entire island and most are busy
transporting passengers that have made reservations.
Therefore, if there are any available at the pier, they
are sure to be expensive. Rental cars are available at
the pier, but supply is limited. I would recommend
making a reservation in advance with Avis, Europcar or
Albert's Rental Car a local operator, or plan to be
first off the ship. It should be noted that rental
prices are much more reasonable in Moorea than they are
in Bora Bora. Scooters and bicycles are also available
and can be a great way to explore the island on your
own. If you do manage to secure a means of
transportation, have a great time taking your own
“circle island tour”. Great views, vistas and tropical
delights await. From the amazing views from Ia Ora
Lookout on the hill overlooking the Sofitel on the east
end of the island,
View from Ia Ora Lookout
to the site of Mount Rotui in the distance on the road
along the west end of the island.
Mount Rotui
If you are unable to rent a vehicle to tour and don't
want to take a taxi to the beach, there are a couple
other “on your own” options. The Tahia Collins shuttle
van offers complimentary rides to and from their jewelry
store. From there you can walk to Les Tipaniers, a
boutique hotel that has a restaurant and nice beach
where you can relax, have a snack and enjoy swimming in
the lagoon. If you don't want to leave the tender pier
area, the Hotel Kaveka has a nice restaurant and a small
beach. Just order something to eat or drink and you can
lounge on the beach. Not idyllic, but an option.
Hotel Kaveka Beach
Shopping Tips:
As already stated, you may find a piece of jewelry or
other souvenir from one of the vendors who set-up tables
at the tender pier. Otherwise, Moorea does not really
have towns, but there are small clusters of shops that
are scattered along the main road. Local handicrafts and
art, pareos, jewelry, books and other gifts can be found
in the boutiques in the shops in Maharepa and Le Petit
Village.
Maharepa Shopping Center
There are number of artists that have taken up residence
in Moorea and their original works of art along with
collections of quality arts and crafts from around the
world can be found in the galleries that dot the main
road.
Moorea Art Galleries
Last, but not least, are the jewelry shops that feature
Tahitian black pearls. Tip: If you are in the
market for authentic black pearls, prices in Moorea are
better than Bora Bora or Papeete. Also, if you just want
an inexpensive black pearl souvenir and not concerned
about quality, there is a small wooden shack halfway
between Cook's Bay tender pier and Maharepa where you
can pick-up some “bargain pearls”.
Black Pearls
Port Highlights:
Swimming, snorkeling, diving and other water-sports:
Without a doubt, enjoying the crystal-clear, warm waters
of the shallow lagoon is the top attraction of the
island. Most of the great beaches now front the island's
better resorts, but ALL beaches in Moorea are PUBLIC.
Temae Beach, the largest and most accessible public
beach on the island, is located just south of the
airport and shares the lagoon with the Sofitel Moorea
Beach Resort. This is a good spot for snorkeling,
particularly for beginners.
Temae Beach
Tip:
Since all beaches are public, once you arrive at Temae
Beach, facing the water walk to your right and you are
free to enjoy the soft white sand at the Sofitel. You
can even snorkel in the shallow waters around the
overwater bungalows.
Sofitel from Ia Ora
Other beaches around the island offer great snorkeling
and when conditions are right, excellent surfing.
Haapiti Beach on the west end of the island happens to
be one of them.
Haapiti Beach
The Intercontinental Beachcomber Resort and Spa has the
most extensive array of water-sport activities on the
island. While it is not cheap, non-guests are welcome to
pay to scuba-dive, parasail, water-ski, wake-board,
jet-ski, kayak or helmet dive. For those who are most
interested in diving, it should be noted that the
shallow lagoon has mostly dead coral so you will need to
dive to deeper depths. The one exception inside the
lagoon is “The Wreck” in Opunohu Bay which creates an
artificial reef where a myriad of colorful tropical fish
have made their home.
Snorkeling in Moorea
Belvedere Lookout:
Belvedere Lookout is considered by many to offer the
most spectacular panoramas anywhere in the world.
Perched up high on the crater's wall in the lush
interior of the island, it overlooks Mount Rotui both
Cook's and Opunohu Bays. Tip: The best time for
picture taking is before 10 am, while the sun is not
directly in your eyes.
View from Belvedere Lookout
About ¾ of the way up the Belvedere Road is one of the
three major temples (marae) on Moorea. The Marae
Tetiiroa has been restored to look as it did
1,000 years ago.
Marae Tetiiroa
Moorea Dolphin Center:
The Dolphin Center is another activity located at the
Intercontinental Resort. Guests can interact with
dolphins in a variety of programs. This is a very
popular activity, however, it is quite expensive and, in
the midst of all the island's natural surroundings to
explore, a rather sterile experience. My recommendation
would be to take a pass on this “highlight”.
Moorea Dolphin Center
Tiki Village Cultural Center:
The Tiki Theater Village, located on Moorea's west
coast, is a great opportunity to visit a traditional
Tahitian Village. Vahines act as tour guides and
demonstrate the Tahitian way of life. Preserving
Polynesia's past, during the day the village is an
open-air museum and in addition to demonstrations, a
community of artists and craftspeople offer their wares.
Tiki Village
On select evenings, guests can dine on a traditional
Polynesian feast baked in a ground oven and watch a
talented dance and musical troupe perform a variety of
exotic Polynesian dances with fire, swords and amazing
costumes.
Polynesian Dancers
Shark and Ray feeding/Private motu:
Many lagoon tours include the opportunity to dive or
snorkel with sharks, feed and swim with stingrays and
spend time on a secluded motu (often a traditional
Polynesian lunch prepared in a ground oven is included).
This is a great way to experience the best of the Moorea
lagoon. If you are interested in shark and ray feeding
alone, this can be arranged at the Moorea Campgrounds
(about 50 yards from Moorea Village).
Feeding Stingrays
Off the Beaten Path:
●Many hiking paths have been opened in the last few
years; some like the hike up Mou'a Puta are reserved for
well-trained hikers and advisable only with a
professional guide. However, there are two trails in the
village of Afareaitu that lead you to reach the
Afareaitu Waterfalls. One starts 100 meters from
the hospital and the other begins at the Afareaitu
School driveway.
Afareaitu
Waterfall
●For something a little different, you can visit a
Vanilla Farm or the Moorea Pineapple Juice Factory
outside Paopao.
Pineapple Plantation
●Not necessarily off the beaten path, but a relatively
new activity on the island, is the opening of the
18-hole Jack Nicklaus designed Moorea Green Pearl
Golf Course. If you are a golfer, this may be an
appealing alternative. Just be prepared for the extreme
tropical heat, and beware of the chickens that freely
roam the greens.
Moorea Golf Course
Dining and Drinking Suggestions:
I can't recommend any specific establishments, but any
trip to Polynesia should include sampling the
traditional “Poisson cru”.
Poisson Cru
Must Do List:
If you do nothing else on the island, make it a point to
get up to Belvedere Lookout for the awesome views.
Panoramic View of Moorea
