Moorea is known as the “Magical Island”
With a circumference of only 37 miles and coastline served by paved road, Moorea can be encircled in a single day’s bicycle or car tour. Be sure to stop in the villages and boutiques as you make your way around. Enjoy horseback riding along the beach or into the interior, hiking up to a hidden waterfall, or drive to the Belvedere lookout point, high in the interior of Moorea for spectacular views of Opunohu and Cook’s Bays.
Moorea, soaring magically out of the ocean in an explosion of green velvet, is what you would imagine a South Seas island to be. A wide, shallow lagoon surrounds the island`s vertical mountains where poetic threads of waterfalls tumble down fern-softened cliffs. Peaceful meadows flanked by pinnacles of green will fill your senses and renew your belief in the majesty of nature. Pastel-painted houses surrounded by gardens of hibiscus and birds of paradise, circle the island in a fantasy of happy, yet simple villages.
A favorite of frequent visitors, Moorea offers couples the perfect combination of all the islands: pristine and secluded beaches; lush mountains and valleys; exclusive resorts; and a wide variety of shopping and fine restaurants.
The drama of Moorea’s landscape continues below the sea with an infinite range of canyons, chasms, and promontories. Fish feeding is common here so divers are often surrounded by schools of small and large marine life. With a lack of strong currents, Moorea is perfect for beginners while the deeper canyons attract the more advanced divers.
Because of the close proximity to Tahiti, Moorea is quick and easy to reach. The airport is served by Air Tahiti and by Air Moorea with 10-minute flights from Faa`a Airport on the island of Tahiti departing every 30 minutes. Air Tahiti also has regular flights between Moorea and Huahine, Raiatea, and Bora Bora. Passenger ferries operate up to six times daily between the waterfront in downtown Papeete and the ferry port in Vaiare, Moorea.
Yachts can be chartered with or without captain and crew, and helicopters are available for dramatic island tours or for transportation to and from Papeete.
Bring your kids along to Moorea! With plenty of land and water activities, children and parents can experience this tropical world together.
The central focus of a Moorea family vacation is the water. From boating and snorkeling to the discovery of gentle sea creatures, your children and adults can enjoy and learn about this pristine aquamarine world.
One of the features that is so striking about this island is the jagged peaks and spires that give the island its unique profile. Geologists speculate that thousands of years ago, the northern rim of the volcano either fell into the sea or was blown away by a volcanic explosion, leaving the heart-shaped island of today. The south rim of the ancient volcano makes up the mountain range on Moorea. At 3,959 ft., Tohiea is the highest pike. Others include Moua Puta (the mountain with a hole) at 2,722 ft., Rotui at 2,624 ft., and Moua Roa (Bali Hai from the film South Pacific) at 2,499 ft. Mt. Mouaroa is the mountain that is commonly referred to as the “shark’s tooth.” It is frequently depicted 
on post cards and is the image on one side of the 100 CFP coin. This unique geology forms spectacular two bays, Opunohu Bay on the west side of Mt. Rotui and Cook’s Bay on the east side.Moorea’s lagoon, along with Bora Bora’s, is one of the most beautiful in the Islands. It harbors 3 “motus” (small islands).
Moorea is a garden of permanent flowers (hibiscus, tiares, pink laurel, etc.) There are numerous coconut groves throughout the island, along with pineapple, grapefruit, and vanilla plantations. In the lagoon and the ocean, all sorts of tropical fish are present. There are many reef sharks which do not prove to be dangerous. Snorkeling and scuba diving can be practiced with a professional without risk.
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