DISCOVER MOOREA ISLAND
a magical island that truly has it all
The island of Moorea
The island of Mo'orea, pronounced [moʔoreʔa], is part of the Windward Islands in the Society Archipelago. Also called « the sister island », it is the closest to Tahiti (10 miles) among the 118 islands of French Polynesia.
The 2 large and deep bays of Cook and Opunohu give the island a most original shape. Some will mention a heart, others an angel or an eagle. But given this unique topography, Moorea is often photographed from the space and these shots are usually widely shared.
The bright turquoise lagoon of the island is surrounded by a barrier reef that opens to the Pacific Ocean in twelve passes. In front of each pass is a valley, more or less vast, drawn by a river whose fresh water originally allowed the creation of the pass.
Inland, Moorea has 8 major peaks, the 4 main ones being Mount Tohiea (1,207 m), Mount Rōtui between Cook and Ōpūnohu bays (899 m), Mouʻa roa (880 m) and Mouʻa puta, or "the pierced mountain" (830 m). Each of these peaks are spectacular and will absolutely be part of your best shots given their highly photogenic silhouettes !
The distance round the island is 38 miles (62 kms) and each kilometer is materialized by a marker called « PK » (stands for Point Kilométrique). If you are given a meeting point in Moorea, it is common to be told to get to a certain "PK", either sea side or mountain side! For your information, the hotel is located at PK 7.2, sea side.
Moorea is an island where it feels good to stay and live…
The inhabitants benefit from the proximity to Tahiti main island: many people commute daily to work as opportunities are bigger, while visitors can take advantage of the development of the island that allows them to be more autonomous to move around, go shopping and visit the same places as the residents to live the local way!
Moorea now counts nearly 20,000 inhabitants spread out in several locations called « districts »: Teʻavaro, Maharepa, Paopao, Papetoʻai, Haʻapiti, ʻĀfareaitu, Tiʻaiʻa and Vaiʻare.
From rugged peaks to lush flora, contrasted by the sparkling blue lagoon that lies on the coastline, be prepared to be blown away by the beauty of Moorea, that will remain engraved in your memory forever!
Many activities, both land and water-based are made available for you to discover the island at its best. Find out our detailed selection below.
A bit of history
Moorea has been inhabitated at the same time as Tahiti, more than 1000 years ago, by navigators from Southeast Asia sailing on large double-hulled Polynesian voyaging canoes.
In 1767, Samuel Wallis arrived and was the first European to see the island, but at the time doesn’t consider to explore it. He calls it Duke of York Island.
In 1777, during his third and last trip, James Cook went to Moorea for the first time and stayed in ʻŌpūnohu Bay for a few days. He names the adjacent bay in his honour.
English missionaries then settled in 1817 to convert the locals but with no success, because France eventually annexed French Polynesia in 1843.
Until World War II, the island lived on copra, vanilla and coffee. The Sixties were marked by the beginning of nuclear tests on Moruroa island, which continued until 1996. At the same time, the financial support of France leads to the development of an economy based on tourism and the Tahitian black pearl.
Legend
While Mo'orea's old name was ʻAimeho or ʻEimeo, its current name literally translates as "yellow lizard": moʻo meaning lizard and reʻa meaning yellow.
An ancient legend refers to the origin of the name...
In the past, Temaiatea and his wife lived on the island of Tupuai-Manu (today named Maiao). The young woman became pregnant and gave birth to an egg. Her husband took the egg to a small cave on the coastline named Vaionini and left it there.
One night, Temaiatea's wife had a vision in her sleep that she had given birth to a yellowish-skin boy. She woke up and told her husband about her dream.
At dusk, the man went to the cave to check on the egg and found out it had hatched: it was a baby lizard of the same color as in his wife's dream.
Temaiatea literally named the lizard « yellow lizard » hence « Moo-rea ». The couple fed Moo-rea in this small cave until he grew up and when he became huge, the woman took fright and said to her husband, "We must abandon Moo-rea, otherwise, soon, he will eat us."
The husband first refused, saying, "It is our beloved child whom we have named Moo-rea" But the woman insisted so the man yielded to her request.
He built a canoe to escape the island and hen it was finished the couple left Maiao and headed towards the rising sun. They approached Tahiti by Taapuna pass and found refuge on a mountain.
The lizard, Moo-rea, kept thinking about his parents who had raised and nurtured him with such affection. But since it had been a long time not fed, he realized his parents had abandoned him. Out of desperation, he threw himself into the sea and swam east.
When he had lost sight of earth, he faced 3 strong currents, but exhausted by his struggle against nature, he drowned. His body drifted and washed up on the shore of Vai Anae in Aimeho (former name of the island of Moorea).
In the early morning, 2 men went fishing. When they reached Vai Anae coastline, they saw this huge thing lying on the sand and ran to warn the people of the island by shouting, "It's a yellow lizard! E moo re'a! "
(Source : Tahiti Heritage Légende du lézard jaune qui donna son nom à l'île de Moorea, tahitiheritage.pf)
How to get to Moorea
Moorea's proximity to the island of Tahiti makes access rather quick and accessible.
Fly !
From Tahiti Faa'a International Airport, a 10-minute flight will take you there (Moorea Temae MOZ Airport).
Visit Air Tahiti website for more information.
Or come on board !
The fast and comfortable ferries operated by the local companies Aremiti, Terevau and Vaeara'i offer several rides daily departing from the 2 islands. The average crossing time is 30-45 minutes. Boarding from Tahiti takes place at the ferry terminal located near downtown Papeete, next to the cruise terminal.
Transfers between Tahiti airport and the ferry terminal can be arranged in advance with the help of a Travel Agency, or there is a taxi stand at the exit of the terminal.
Be cautious about ferries’ schedules as they do not operate overnight, thus, the last trip is usually around 5PM. If your flight arrives late afternoon or in the evening, you will need to stay overnight in Tahiti.
What to see and do while in Moorea ?
First, we strongly advise you to discover the interior of the island as much as its lagoon! Moorea has plenty of beautiful places just waiting to be visited...
Many excursions are offered to discover the island : jet ski, sailing catamaran, ATV, 4x4, clear kayaks, e-bikes and electric motocross, scuba diving, introduction to sailing, night snorkeling, food tour, hikes to waterfalls, ziplining, parasailing and more ...
Or maybe you may choose to rent a vehicle and discover the island at your own pace?
Many trails await you in the Opunohu Valley, starting from the belvedere and in the pineapple plantations. Guided or on your own, the choice is yours!
Likewise, the public beaches of the island will bring you full satisfaction for a relaxing moment at the water's edge or a snorkeling session...
Did we mention the whale season yet?!
You will obvisouly be quite busy in Moorea, so make sure your stay is long enough to make the most out of it ! We can help you organize your stay in the best way according to what you are looking for.
Contact us and check out our blog to find out more.
How to get around
If you want flexibility and autonomy, we advise you to rent a vehicle during your stay. You’ll have a wide array of choice from regular or electric bikes, to scooters, electric scooters, cars and 4WDs.
The hotel's ideal location allows you to be close to a pharmacy, supermarkets, local shops and stalls, local banks with ATMs and the post office.
Free parking for our guests is available for your vehicule at the rear of the building.
THE SUITES
Discover below the specificities of each of our 2 room categories.
THE SERVICES
Dining, relaxation, adventure, fun and much more!
CONTACT US
Please feel free to get in touch with us if you have any questions.
