The best things to see and do in Moorea, an idyllic island in French Polynesia

 

Whenever we talk about French Polynesia we remember islands with incredible coral reefs and crystal clear waters Bora Bora o Tahiti.

But take note that we are going to discover another one of those paradises that is very easy to get to and that is difficult to forget about, Moorea.

It is a very lush and fertile island of volcanic origin, famous because it brings together three very characteristic aspects of the life of the island. French Polynesia.

On the one hand, the moorea island takes its name from geckos, that small reptile similar to geckos European, MOO means gecko y REA. yellow.

El gecko emits a very particular sound that makes up the soundtrack of the French PolynesiaWell, no matter which island you go to, it is a sound that you hear at all hours, that stays in your head and it is a great surprise when they explain where it comes from.

What the island of Moorea is like in French Polynesia

On the other hand, Moorea It is the island where the incredibly rich polynesian pineapples, which by the way can only be consumed there since they are not exported outside the country.

The topic of the pineapple is curious, because it is not a native fruit of the country, but rather it was the captain James Cook the one who took her from Brazil on those expeditions that put the Polynesia.

In fact, one of the two sister bays of Moorea It takes the name of this prestigious captain who changed the history of the place.

But not only pineapples are grown, but due to the tropical climate of the island, all types of crops that need a lot of sun grow well.

And we could not forget what for us is the great incentive of moorea islandthe incredible Coral barrier where you can swim in complete tranquility among sharks and manta rays, a unique and unforgettable experience.

Don't miss the video where we show you what our visit to this incredible island was like, and where you can see images of the activities we refer to in this article.

Below we are going to give you all the information you need to know about the places you must and the excursions you cannot miss, with which you will be able to perfectly get to know this island that has a unique charm.

How to get to Moorea?

Moorea It is an island of volcanic origin that is located only 17 kilometers west of its neighboring island Tahiti, so we would dare to say that it is a must-see if you travel to the French Polynesia.

To summarize it in an easy way, there are two ways to get there, one cheap and one more expensive, in ferry or plane, and both leave you in the northwest part of the island.

How to go by plane to Moorea

Undoubtedly, the plane It's the quickest way to get there. since in alone 15 minute flight. Not counting the wait for boarding, you end up in Moorea, but the problem is the prices.

The planes are very small and have few seats, and searching in advance there are round-trip tickets for about 70 euros, but if you book the flight with little time, you may find that the price can skyrocket and be between 300 and 600 euros.

How to take the ferry to Moorea

That's why actually We recommend going by ferry, since in practice it is the simplest way to do this route, and there are also many schedules to choose uninterruptedly from 6:40 in the morning until 17:25. which is the last trip.

From port of Papeete en Tahiti only it takes 30 minutes, you save all the inconveniences of the plane of check-in and loss of time at controls, and it only costs 1.500 Polynesian francs, which in exchange is around 12 euros each way.

Whether you make this journey by plane or by ferry, the views upon arriving at the island are incredible, although it must be admitted that seeing the Moorea Barrier Reef From the air it is something very special.

Whichever option you choose, the price usually includes a suitcase, so there is no problem in making a visit of several days to Moorea like we did on our trip.

In fact, on the ferry you have no luggage weight limit, you simply have to arrive at the port 20 minutes before boarding and leave the suitcase in carts designated for them, and you pick it up right when you arrive at the town of Vaiare already in Moorea.

The interesting thing about this ferry is that you can see the real life of the Polynesians.

They are large, new ferries on which you can see all kinds of local people, even groups of schoolchildren who cross between islands on a daily basis to go to study in Tahiti.

To make the journey from Papeete in Tahiti to Moorea there are two ferry companies Aremiti y Terevau, and tickets can be purchased online in advance or directly at the box office. while there is only one airline company, Air Tahiti.

Here we leave you an article where we give you our best tips and useful information for traveling to French Polynesia.

What to see and do when visiting Moorea for tourism?

In the moorea island You can spend entire days and you would not finish discovering the island, but we are going to highlight the places that you cannot miss during your stay. tourism visit.

Moorea Barrier Reef

One of the Moorea's greatest attractions is without a doubt his Coral barrier that surrounds the island that was formed with the remains of the eruptions of the ancient volcano that dominated the island.

The barrier reef forms a circle of shallow waters that have become the ideal protection for hundreds of species that live in it.

But not only has it shaped the marine ecosystem, but the Polynesians themselves have learned to use this to their advantage.

In the northern part. which is the most touristy. next to the two Moorea bays, are located some of the most impressive hotels, which have taken advantage of the shallow depth of the sea to build the characteristic overwater bungalow.

This makes the experience of sleeping in these cabins even more special, since just by leaving it it is possible to see a multitude of fish among the corals.

If you are not staying in one of these hotels, we advise you to at least go to them for dinner one day to see the magic of these accommodations, like the one we stayed in, the Manava Beach Resort.

In any case, don't think that these types of hotels only have these type rooms. bungalow, which is usually only part of the establishment, in general. the most part VIP and especially reserved for honeymoons or anniversary celebrations.

Touring this part of the island by boat is a very special experience, as the crystal clear waters mix with the lush jungle landscapes of the coast of Moorea.

Visit to the pineapple plantations in Moorea

As we have mentioned before, pineapples are the star product of Moorea; With this exquisite fruit, all kinds of products you can imagine are created, so many. which is surprising.

Juices, smoothies, ice creams, jams, creams, oils..., the variety is incredible, and it is well worth visiting some of these fields where you can see the traditional Polynesian life.

After and Black Pearl from Rangiroa Island, the main activity of the island is agriculture and fishing, two activities that are carried out by the same people.

The farmers themselves work the fields in the mornings and in the afternoons they go fishing.

The most traditional fields are pineapple fields, but many more fruits are grown on this island. such as bananas, avocados, coconuts or mangoes.

The tropical climate that bathes the French Polynesia, together with the fertile lands created thanks to the volcanic remains, are the ideal climate for all this type of fruit crops.

All of them have had an incredible adaptation to these lands to which they arrived thanks to the famous captain cook. who was the one who brought them from South America.

Magic Mountain, the most beautiful viewpoint in Moorea

If we had to highlight a viewpoint in Moorea, would be known as Magic mountain, the cuan is located in the north of the island.

At first, when they told us about it, we thought that the name had been taken from some type of story Maori or rituals of the area, but its origin is much simpler.

Is called Magic mountain for its incredible views.

And as soon as you get on it you realize perfectly well that it is a very apt name.

It has absolutely stunning views from one end of the Apunohu Bay, from where you can see the Moorean Inner Jungle and Coral barrier.

It is a viewpoint that is not easy to get to because it can only be done by vehicle. quad, or ATV, as they call it there.

The roads are quite complicated for a car, perhaps a 4×4 could climb it, but the truth is that we only saw a few people who, like us, were on a quad.

It is without a doubt a magical viewpoint that we recommend to everyone to visit and spend some time there, because the peace that the place transmits is unmatched.

Viewpoint of the bays Opunohu and Cook sisters

Once inside the island, crossing the crop fields, there is a mandatory stop from where you have one of the most iconic views of Moorea.

From here you can see what are known as the sister bays of Opunohu and Cook chaired by the mount Rotui that separates them.

Much of the charm of this viewpoint is seeing the configuration of the island, since on one side you can perfectly see the hole in the caldera of the old volcano that sank after its death, leaving a huge crater.

And on the other hand, this geographical configuration has given way to the cultivation of pineapple, banana and mango with the differences in the characteristics of the trees.

The low grove, which is located on the slopes in a vertical manner, is all pineapple fields, and the rest of the tall trees are banana or mango plantations.

And it is really curious to see how pineapple crops have colonized this northern part of the island.

From this viewpoint you can do hiking trails about two hours to reach the highest part of Moorea, highly recommended for lovers of charming landscapes.

By the way, to visit this entire area it is important to bring a good mosquito repellent because in this crop area, if you don't bring it, they will eat you.

What excursions to do in Moorea?

When it comes to spending a few days on the island, it is very likely that you will sign up for an excursion, that is why we are going to leave you here the information about the two that we did, through which we discovered Moorea.

Both excursions are several hours long, and we did both with the same company Albert Transports & activities, whose headquarters were right in front of our hotel, the aforementioned Manava Beach Resort.

From what we could sense, it is a large company on the island, with which we were really satisfied.

This was also the company we used to pick us up at the port where we arrived with the ferry, and in fact they also offer cars to rent for a few days.

Moorea Barrier Reef Lagoon Tour

We took our first excursion on the first day of our stay on the island, and it was a huge success because it took us to discover the Coral barrier and its charms.

It was an excursion of about 6 hours in the lagoon, where we could bathe with manta rays and black fin sharks, which are not very big so they do not see you as prey.

It is an incredible experience that does not end here.

A Polynesian guide with enormous Dreadlocks, who was a true genius, was explaining to us a lot of stories about Moorea as we crossed the north of the island and the sister bays from the water.

This excursion includes a stop on an island where, in addition to eating an authentic polynesian barbecue, they explain several characteristic customs of Polynesian culture.

How to open coconuts and extract the milk, how to put the polynesian sarongs, both men and women, how to do the poisson cru (a kind of polynesian ceviche) and a lot of other things in an atmosphere of authentic Polynesian music played live.

The best thing is to watch the video of the trip that we have shown at the beginning, because it is the best way to get an idea.

We are very used to seeing many guides on all our trips, and without a doubt this is one of the best we have had throughout our travels around the world.

This excursion with this company costs 8.000 fcp, just under 70 euros per person.

Excursion through the interior of the island of Moorea

The second day we signed up for another excursion in quad (or ATV) with the same company, and this time we headed inland to see the crop fields.

It is without a doubt the best way to understand life on the island, since Moorea it's not only beaches and lagoons with crystal clear waters.

This excursion seemed like the ideal complement to understand the role played by moorea island within Polynesia.

It is only necessary to have a driving license to be able to carry the quads, which are for two people. although in my case I drove it alone.

If you don't want to drive, it is also possible to do a similar route through the interior of Moorea by bus or 4×4, although it will never be the same as in quad because with this vehicle you drive on dirt roads, although this option can be used perfectly to get to know the island.

Here we leave you the website where we look at it

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