Mo’orea

Mo’orea, Tahiti’s sister island

is the more rugged of the pair. Its landscape features a jagged outcropping called Magic Mountain, which is covered with lush foliage. There are also numerous beaches, and Temae Beach on the north coast is one of the most popular. There’s even a lagoonarium, where visitors can scuba dive and snorkel, and the Moorea Dolphin Center, where visitors can gaze at the marine mammals to their heart’s content. A number of resorts line the northern coast of the island too.

Mo’orea is an island destination in French Polynesia. Because of its stunning scenery and accessibility to Pape’ete, Mo’orea is visited by many western tourists who travel to French Polynesia. Especially popular as a honeymoon destination, Mo’orea can often be seen in advertisements in American wedding magazines. Arthur Frommer declared in Frommer’s travel guide that he considered it the most beautiful island in the world. In the 1984 film Mutiny on the Bounty, many of the shots of the ship were filmed in Opunohu Bay, Mo’orea, which is the same bay Captain James Cook anchored in 1777.

To reach Mo’orea, you can take a quick ferry ride that leaves from the ferry terminal at Pape’ete. A round-trip ticket on an Aremiti ferry costs roughly 3,000 XPF (or $276 USD). Once on the island, you can get around by rental car, taxi or bus. Mopeds are also quite popular.