26 Best Sights in Moorea, French Polynesia

This village a few miles south of the port of Vaiare is the administrative center and contains the island's mairie (town hall) and a small, early 20th-century church. The village was headquarters of the South Seas Academy in the early 19th century, whose mission was to spread the Protestant faith. Nearby is Marae Umarea, the oldest on the island, dating back to AD 900. The two Afareaitu waterfalls, often just called waterfall 1 and 2, are inland from the village via different dirt roads. You can drive to car parks and take a 20- to 30-minute walk to each of them. Pack a swimsuit as there are rockpools ideal for swimming. Afareaitu also has the island's only hospital.

This popular lookout, a few miles inland from Paopao, is the island's highest point accessible by car. From the summit (720 feet [219 meters]) there are commanding views of Opunohu and Cook's bays, Mt. Rotui, surrounding peaks, and the valleys below. The Belvedere road can be accessed at turnoffs from the Coastal Road at the base of both bays. The road from Opunohu Bay winds through the valley of the same name past grazing horses and lush grassland. The Paopao road (from Cook's Bay) turns off the Coastal Road near the small Paopao village and passes pineapple plantations of the Paopao Valley. The roads meet not far from a collection of ancient marae, and then the journey winds steeply to the top. Use your horn at the corners and bends! There's nothing at the top but the view, save a concrete platform to stand on plus a few chickens and a rooster or two wandering around.

This lovely bay, also known as Paopao Bay, has the most dramatic setting and is best appreciated by standing at its eastern or western shore, or better still, from a boat out in the lagoon. The much-photographed shark-toothed mountain of Mouaroa rises steeply behind it, and Mt. Rotui stands at its western side. There's no real township, just a smattering of shops, restaurants, and small hotels along the northeast corner. The village of Paopao sits at the base (or head) of the bay at PK 9.5; it has a daily market (Mon.–Sat. 6 am–5 pm, Sun. 4:30 am—8 am) selling food and local crafts, and nearby is the Van der Heyde art gallery. The Catholic church of St. Joseph sits on the western shore and is decorated with an old wall fresco of the Angel Gabriel. For a spiritual experience par excellence, attend the 10 am mass on Sunday morning to hear the hymns and see Tahitians in their Sunday best.

The largest village on the remote West Coast is located where the PK 37 counterclockwise and the PK 24 markers meet. Apart from this little honor, it's claim to fame is the impressive twin-towered Catholic Eglise de la Sainte Famille (Church of the Holy Family), fashioned from coral and lime and dating back to the late 19th century. It is framed by lush coconut groves, and jagged mountains rise steeply behind it. The village also has a Protestant church, built in 1916. This white and gray church is distinguished by an olive green steeple and a big clock face. The churches are open for Sunday morning service only. The popular surf break at the Matauvau Pass is about a half-mile off shore.

The point has one long beach that winds in and out of bays and skirts several pensions and hotels for about 5 km (3.1 mi). It's narrow but is wider—and sandier—in some places than others. Unless you're staying at one of the hotels or pensions, you'll have to walk down narrow laneways between hotel complexes to access it. One such laneway is near the Fare Vai Moana Hotel at around PK 28, counterclockwise.

Not really a town per se, but still one of the busiest tourist strips, this 5-km (3.1-mi) strip from PK 25 to PK 30 has shops, excursions operators, small hotels, pensions, and restaurants.

Juice was first pressed at this pineapple processing factory and distillery in 1981. In the early days, four juices—pineapple, grapefruit, orange, and apple—flowed, but now there are 18 juices and beverages including the famous Tahiti Punch (with 10% alcohol) and various liquors made from vanilla and coconut. The factory floor is off-limits for safety reasons but you can watch a video (in French and English) of the pineapple juicing process. The degustation (tasting) of juices and liquors is free. The gift shop sells drinks as well as honey, tea, crystallized fruits, chocolates, and souvenirs such as T-shirts, and even pearls.

This enclosed part of the lagoon near Motu Ahi, off Afareaitu, is home to turtles, rays, and hundreds of fish. A boat takes visitors from Afareaitu at PK 9 (clockwise) on a very short transfer to the island where they can spend all day swimming, snorkeling, learning about marine life, and even nursing baby sharks. There is also an organized tour that includes a dolphin-spotting cruise followed by a few hours on the island. Ask your hotel concierge for tour details.

This village is a collection of tourist shops, eateries, pearl stores, a tattoo parlor, and two small shopping centers. The larger Socredo Centre has one of the island's two post offices, a bank, ATMs, and telephones as well as a pastry shop and café. There are several roulottes selling reputedly the best poisson cru on the island. They open for business around 6 pm.

Just off the Belvedere Road are remains of a few ancient marae. You can just park your car, ATV, or bugster (the preferred mode of transport in these parts) and walk to them. Tetiiroa (sometimes spelled Titiroa and often referred to as the Belvedere marae) has excellent interpretative signs. It's on the edge of a forest, and the "jungle" has taken over: big trees roots have burrowed under the moss-covered stone foundations and trees and vines have sprung up everywhere. A walking track leads through the forest to two smaller marae and the Marae Ahu-o-Mahine with a three-tier altar. A hundred yards or so further along the Belvedere Road are two well-preserved archery platforms, belonging to the Afareaito marae. The sport was considered a sacred game, played by the elite males of the day.

You can literally kiss and cuddle dolphins here. Three dolphins (ex-performers and retired U.S. Navy dolphins) live in an enclosed section of the lagoon at the InterContinental Moorea Resort and Spa. There are special dolphin encounters tailored for couples, groups, and families involving snorkeling in the lagoon with the creatures, swimming with them while holding their fin (Apnea program), and learning to teach them tricks.

When you book a shark feeding and motu picnic excursion you'll head to either Motu Fareone or Motu Moea, or to one of several small islands in either of the two bays. These are lovely, secluded places and, on occasion, you can travel independently to them. It's best to check with your hotel or pension to find out how to visit a motu.

Called the Lycée Argricole in French, the college comes in view just before you hit the steep part of the road to the Belvedere. Students run free guided tours of the college's vanilla and coffee tree plantations and tropical flower gardens. It's also a pit stop for a refreshing fruit juice or snack and the starting point for three circular hiking trails that can done on your own or with a guide. Ask at the tourist office for a map or guide for hikers. The college has a Web site, but it's in French only.

This is the westerly of the two outstanding bays on the north side of the island, and is actually the place where Captain James Cook dropped anchor in 1777. It is much less developed than Cook's Bay in terms of tourism and is said to be the locals' favorite for this very reason. Most of the Polynesian scenes from the 1984 movie Bounty, starring Mel Gibson, were filmed in the bay. Big cruise ships moor here, but because there is no port, passengers are taken ashore in tenders.

This public beach, about half a mile long, is on the northeast side of Opunohu Bay. It's popular on the weekends with French and Tahitian families, boys playing soccer, and people picnicking under the trees. There are lovely views back to the bay. Dozens of catamarans belonging to the Moorea Sailing School (Ecole de Voile de Moorea) line the shore of one section of the beach. Opunohu Beach is about a mile west of the Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort and Spa.

This lovely area, with great lagoon views, is not a public beach: it costs 2,000 CFP for a day pass, which allows you to snorkel along an underwater marked trail, meet friendly rays, and watch a breadfruit cooking and coconut gathering show. Thursday is Polynesian day with dances and a traditional sports and craft exhibition and a Tahitian earth oven feast. You can't miss this place as a huge wooden statue of a Tahitian warrior marks the entrance. Meals are available at the restaurant.

This temple is the main attraction of little Papetoai and is also known as the Octagonal Church, due to its eight sides. Protestant missionaries constructed it between 1822 and 1827 deliberately on the site of a former marae in an effort to assert the new religion. The buttercup-yellow church with a red roof was rebuilt in the latter part of the 19th century but remains the oldest European building still in use in the South Pacific. Just one spike-shaped stone remains from the days when it was a marae. The church is often locked, so if you want to see inside, turn up for the Sunday church service. Nearby is the small dock where cruise ship passengers come ashore by tender boats. Craft markets stalls are set up when a cruise ship is in town.

Pension Motu Iti on the Coastal Road on the western side of Cook's Bay

Between Opunohu and Cook's bays, this is more tourist enclave than village, with a collection of pensions (with restaurants) and the Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort and its restaurants. The Moorea Juice Factory is just a little inland from the coastal road here; bulky Mt. Rotui looms large directly behind.

These beaches are the best on the East Coast; their names tend to be used interchangeably as they're really one long beach that starts just north of the ferry port and stretches all the way to the airport. The best section is the 1-mile stretch between the airport and the Sofitel Moorea Beach Resort. It can be quite busy on weekends, but especially quiet mid-week or during the low season from January to May. To gain access, look for the public access sign near the Sofitel Moorea Ia Ora Beach Resort. Expert surfers may want to test their skills on the famous Temae surf break—but beware of the dangerous reef.

It's the name of a town, a beach, and the location of the airport. The kilometer marker system begins here with PK 0. There are three rental car companies at the airport and a tourism information kiosk with brochures. Nearby are a couple of pensions and the five-star Sofitel Moorea Ia Ora Beach Resort.

While you won't see this name much, it is the official name for the area on Moorea's northwest corner with the biggest concentration of hotels, restaurants, boutiques, and other shops strung along the main road, or just off it toward the lagoon. Moorea residents like to say there isn't really a main town on the island at all, but Tiahura seems the closest thing to it as far as tourists are concerned. It extends into Hauru Point. The focal point is the Le Petit Village shopping center, a pearl shop, a bank, souvenirs stores, and an Internet café.

This replica of a traditional Polynesian village, a few miles south of Hauru Point, has been drawing visitors for 14 years. By day there are fishing and pearl-collecting demonstrations, and artisans are at work weaving, carving stone, painting, and tattooing. At night 60 performers put on a spectacular show complete with grass skirts and fire dancing. The audience gets a lesson in pareo (sarong) tying and hip swinging. If you don't want to be dragged up on stage, don't sit in the front. If you buy a ticket to the nightly show, you receive a free day pass to the village. The village is also well known for its Polynesian wedding ceremonies, which must be booked well in advance.

Tiki@Net in Petit Village.

This is a high point of the coastal road, just a short drive north of the airport. All the transfer minibuses stop here to show visitors their first view of the lagoon and Tahiti in the distance. There's also a great view of the Sofitel resort's overwater bungalows below. It's a wonderful view and everyone gets his or her photo taken here.

This is likely to be your first view in Moorea and it's a stunning one. Below cloud-swathed, jagged peaks, the ferry port is a hive of activity during the day. It's adjacent to the marina where dozens of catamarans and yachts moor. Europcar and Avis have desks at the port, and L'Truck buses meet each ferry, as do the yellow Moorea Transport minibuses and taxis. There is a stall selling pineapples and fruit, so stock up here.