Most Beautiful Islands: French Polynesia Islands

Moorea Island

Moorea is Polynesia's second-most popular tourist attraction after Tahiti. Located a mere 12 miles (19 kilometers) west of the island of Tahiti, Moorea is a triangular shaped island encircled by a lagoon of translucent green, fringed by an azure blue Polynesian sea. Covering an area of 51 square miles, it is the only other major island in the Windward group of the Society Islands besides Tahiti.

Because of its stunning scenery and accessibility to Papeete, Moorea is visited by many western tourists who travel to French Polynesia. Especially popular as a honeymoon destination, Moorea can often be seen in advertisements in American wedding magazines. Authur Frommer declared in Frommer's travel guide that he considered it the most beautiful island in the world.
Moorea, sometimes described as a huge garden with tropical scents, is covered by trees, carefully maintained gardens, beautiful fare with pandanus roofs, cool rivers and waterfalls. Many beautiful white sand beaches can be found around Temae (near the airport) and Haapiti – the northern coast between Papetoai and Haapiti gathers the most tourists with many hotels and two gorgeous motu (islets) facing Hauru’s point.

Activities

Filled with Polynesian history and lore, Moorea is one of the most fascinating and completely relaxing places you could dream of vacationing. As with the rest of the islands in French Polynesia, there are plenty of things one can do in Moorea. Swim, snorkel or dive your way to an excellent island adventure. Snorkeling in Moorea is great with many organized tours and travel companies setting up underwater dives. An amazing place to learn how to scuba dive, Moorea offers both novice and expert scuba divers a number of spots to dive right into. Most of the dive zones on the island are located along the northern coast. Tiki, the Coulior de Raies and the Jardin des Roses are offer an incredible wealth of marine life to explore.

Other activities on the island to enjoy are game fishing, parasailing, jet ski tours, lagoon tours and 4WD safari tours. You can even take a helicopter tour of Moorea with Heli Inter Polynesie, but be aware going in that this ride can put a serious dent in your vacation budget.

Resorts

Moorea properties are world famous and a favorite of repeat Tahiti visitors.Lodging ranges from the large and medium resorts with overwater bungalows to simpler hotels with garden bungalows and standard rooms. Properties are located on the east side with views of the island of Tahiti, on the north side and in Cook's Bay with lagoon and mountain views, and on the west side with sunset views.

Enjoy beautiful photos from Moorea Island: