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Travel To Moorea – French Polynesia
One destination I always had on my “Bucket List,” was visiting the French Polynesia Islands. We finally checked this off last season and one of our favorites was …
Moorea Island
We enjoyed a wonderful week on this island, just prior to embarking on our amazing 10 day Tahitian Legends Cruise with Oceania Cruises.
First, check out my short YouTube video I put together on our snorkeling adventure while in Moorea.
Snorkeling In Moorea Island YouTube Video
About Moorea Island
This picturesque island is located just beyond Tahiti and the city of Papeete. It’s about a 45 minute fast passenger ferry ride across to the island, about 10 miles or 17 kilometers away from the ferry port in Papeete.
This makes it easily accessible even if just for a short day trip.
Moorea is part of Society Islands Archipelago and is known for its beautiful crystal clear waters, beaches and scenic volcanic mountains. Most of all, Moorea offers a peaceful escape from the more busy tourist-filled islands of Bora Bora, Tahiti and others.
1777 that Captain Cook first visited it and anchored in one of its bays. He was the first Westerner to officially put Moorea on a map, this is why his name was given to one of the most beautiful bays in the world, Cook’s Bay.
At only 134 square kilometers in size, driving around the entire island of Moorea takes about 1.5 to 2 hours without making any stops. The present population is about 17,000.
The ferry arrives in the main town of Afareaitu. A number of rental car/scooter locations are right in this vicinity as well.
The main grocery store is right in the main town center just down from the ferry terminal.
The main coastal road is about 37 miles or 60 kilometers in total. There’s plenty to see along the way, so plan to take at least 3 to 4 hours.
You can enjoy amazing vistas along the way, beautiful beaches, the Manutea Tahiti – Rotui Juice Factory & Distillery, Belvedere Lookout Hike and much more.
The coastal road is two lanes, one lane each way and is flat for the majority. It is quite curvy in sections but easy to navigate.
As the island is small, it is strongly recommended to pre-book your rental car and/or scooter in advance. If you’re going to be visiting during the high season, then this is a must.
The official languages in French Polynesia are French and Tahitian. We found most locals in the tourist areas spoke English as well.
The local currency is the CFP Franc (XPF). If you are coming from Tahiti, then I do recommend bringing cash on hand to the island with you. ATM outlets and banks on the island are limited.
Things To Do On Moorea Island
One of the biggest things in my opinion to do on this island, is to relax. The island has a sense of peace and quiet, offering a perfect destination to just enjoy the surroundings and experience true relaxation.
With its beautiful stunning scenery, including picturesque volcanic peaks of Mount Rotui and Mount Tohivea, this island is the perfect escape!
If you love watersports and outdoor adventures, then you’ve come to the right place. There’s beautiful beaches to explore, snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking, paddleboarding and more.
We discovered 3 beautiful beaches that were superb for swimming and snorkeling. One of our most enjoyable days was an amazing 🤿 Full Day Moorea Lagoon Tour with Captain Taina.
If you’re traveling to the island and love the water and snorkeling, this tour is a; “Must Do!”
As shown in my video, you can swim and snorkel among some incredible sea life including …
Sea Turtles, Sting Rays, Black Tip Sharks and beautiful colorful tropical fish.
As well, be sure to hike up to popular Belvedere Lookout offering amazing views of Opunohu & Cook’s Bay. For serious hikers, there’s a difficult hike up to Opunohu Lookout which takes several hours, but offers commanding views.
For the more adventurous, there’s 4×4 country tours taking you into the hillside and pineapple fields.
If you’re visiting in the months from July thru November, humpback whales appear as they migrate through this region.
Experience The Local Food & Life On Moorea Island
One of our most favorite things to do when traveling to new destinations is taking a cultural food tour with a local. There’s no better way to experience the local cuisine and discover hidden local eateries, than on a food tour.
We did just that on Moorea, and it was outstanding. Be sure to check out my full review and photos in the link at the bottom of this post.
It’s the perfect opportunity to discover local dishes and favorite eateries while on the island. As well, don’t be afraid to stop at the many small local roadside eateries, they are superb!
We had one of the best cheese burgers at small and popular roadside outlets. The food is not only great, but you’re also supporting local small businesses on the island.
Shopping On Moorea
If you’re in the market for black pearls and jewelry, Moorea has a number of shops offering some beautifully crafted black pearl jewelry and a variety of other local artisan created items.
There’s also locally crafted wooden carvings along with numerous colorful sarongs and other items for purchase.
We absolutely loved our vacation in French Polynesia. From our time spent on Moorea Island, our amazing Oceania 10 day cruise discovering other islands, to a relaxing Airbnb homestay in Papeete, it was all outstanding.
The weather and time of year is something to consider when planning your visit. We traveled during the off season in late January, early February. This was just before the rush for Spring Break.
I must say, we really got lucky with the weather. It was absolutely beautiful, with just a few heavy showers on our last 2 days on holiday. We were told that just prior to our arrival, it had rained steadily for 2 weeks.
We did take chances, but being on a tight budget, traveling at this time of year offered some superb deals for the cruise and accommodations.
Your choice of accommodations vary from 5 star luxury stays to more modest affordable hotels and/or homestays. It’s your choice!
Best Time To Visit French Polynesia
The Dry season is from May thru October. The is considered the optimum time of year to visit the islands. It’s very sunny and hot with less humidity and least amount of rainfall.
The typical Wet season occurs from November thru April. It tends to rain more often, but you can still experience great weather as we did. Also, other than at Spring Break prices are considerably lower as well.
There are numerous non-stop flights to Faa’a International Airport at Papeete, Tahiti. We enjoyed an excellent flights with Air Tahiti Nui’s Dreamliner in Premium Economy.
If you haven’t traveled to these beautiful islands in the South Pacific, I definitely recommend adding this to your “Bucket List,” as we did.
🟩 Check out the {Google Map} box at the bottom of this post for Moorea’s exact location. 🟩
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