Moorea: between jungle and unforgettable moments at sea

Turquoise lagoon of Moorea with a bird in flight, boat and lush green hills in the background, French Polynesia

Moorea is an island I found just as stunning on land as it is at sea. It’s where I truly discovered the lush Polynesian jungle, staying right in the heart of it. But above all, it’s here that I lived one of the most beautiful experiences of my life: swimming with humpback whales and — most incredibly — hearing them sing.

When: Mid-October 2018
Location: Moorea, Leeward Islands, French Polynesia
What to do: Snorkeling, whale watching excursion, hiking, island tour

The place in a few words

Rock mural depicting a map of Moorea island with a sculpted lizard, a reference to the Tahitian name Mo'ore'a meaning

Moorea is an island in the Society archipelago, in French Polynesia, nicknamed “Tahiti’s sister island” — located just 17 km away. Home to around 17,000 inhabitants spread across several coastal villages, it takes its Tahitian name Mo’ore’a from a local legend meaning “yellow lizard”. With its 134 km² and highest peak, Mount Tohiea at 1,207 meters, Moorea offers breathtaking scenery between tropical jungle and lagoon. Its two main bays, Cook’s Bay and Opunohu Bay, are considered among the most beautiful in the world.

Practical information

Moorea beach with backlit coconut palms, catamaran anchored in the blue lagoon and volcanic mountains in the background, French Polynesia

Moorea is accessible from Tahiti by ferry — the crossing takes less than 30 minutes and you even have a chance of spotting whales along the way! Budget around €20 per person for a round trip on foot.
To get around the island, renting a car is ideal. The main road is about 60 km long — allow half a day with stops. We rented a car for the duration of our stay, though my friend living in Tahiti got a discounted rate, so it’s hard to give you a price reference. To compare prices, check out Carigami.
One tip: make sure to take out all available insurance, especially windshield and undercarriage coverage. During our stay, my friend unfortunately scraped the bottom of the car door and, having skipped the insurance, ended up paying a hefty repair bill!
For accommodation, the options are wide-ranging — from luxury hotels with overwater bungalows to much more affordable family guesthouses.

📍 Good to know : French Polynesia has two seasons, a dry season from May to October and a wet season from November to April. The dry season is the ideal time to visit Bora Bora, with less rainfall and slightly cooler temperatures. That said, it’s warm all year round!

We spent 4 nights at Pension Haere Mai I Te Fare, nestled in the middle of lush vegetation. We were warmly welcomed by the owner Lucie and her three adorable dogs! The bungalow was simple but charming — the bathroom was outside and we literally lived outdoors, which is absolutely wonderful when you love nature. Worth knowing: inland, the humidity is significant and drying clothes was practically impossible 😉. During my stay, I paid €94 per night for two with breakfast included — prices may have changed since then.
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Collage of Pension Haere Mai I Te Fare in Moorea: wooden bungalow surrounded by lush jungle, two adorable dogs and a terrace with a hammock, French Polynesia

Exploring the island

We start this island tour at the Opunohu Belvedere, with its stunning view over Cook’s Bay and Opunohu Bay, then head to the To’atea lookout offering a breathtaking panorama over Temae Beach, the island of Tahiti across the water and the Sofitel’s overwater bungalows.

Spectacular view of Mount Rotui dominating the jungle of Moorea and Cook's Bay and Opunohu Bay from the Opunohu Belvedere, French Polynesia

Panoramic view from the To'atea lookout over Temae Beach, the island of Tahiti across the water and the Sofitel's overwater bungalows, Moorea, French Polynesia — *To’atea lookout*

Next stop, the Sentier des Ancêtres trail to discover the marae, these sacred Polynesian sites, then a stop at the agricultural college to taste and buy their delicious homemade jams. It was also the chance to see my first pineapple fields — quite a sight when you come from mainland France — and I have to say, I have never enjoyed fruit as much as I did in French Polynesia!

Collage of the Ahu-o-Māhine marae in Moorea: moss-covered stone platform in a forest and an explanatory panel about this sacred Polynesian site, French Polynesia

Collage of the pineapple fields at the Moorea agricultural college with a close-up of a ripening pineapple, French Polynesia

We made the most of the beautiful Temae Beach to cool off and go snorkeling — there is a current but nothing too strong.

Temae public beach in Moorea under a dramatic cloudy sky with a solitary coconut palm and mountains in the background, French Polynesia

That’s where I witnessed a wonderful moment: I was watching a shrimp busily redecorating the entrance of its home 😉, when I noticed a small fish standing right in front of it, like a bodyguard, alerting it to the slightest danger. Proud of my “discovery”, I did some research when I got back — and of course, biologists had known about this symbiosis for ages 😄! It’s the pistol shrimp and its goby fish. The shrimp, almost blind, constantly touches the fish with its antennae, while the fish alerts it to danger by moving. In return, the fish gets to live in the shrimp’s burrow. Discovering something like this on your own just by observing nature — it’s simply extraordinary 😍!

Gobie tacheté à l'entrée de son terrier avec une crevette pistolet dans le fond sableux du lagon de Moorea lors du snorkeling, Polynésie française

Poisson-sole paon aux taches bleues parfaitement camouflé sur le fond sableux lors du snorkeling dans le lagon de Moorea, Polynésie française

We also made a detour to Afareaitu Waterfall — we were lucky, it had rained and the waterfall was clearly visible, surrounded by absolutely stunning vegetation.

Lush tropical garden with banana trees, red gingers and waterfalls visible through the mist in the background, Moorea, French Polynesia

Afareaitu Waterfall visible between the coconut palms after the rain, and close-ups of colorful tropical flowers, Moorea, French Polynesia

Along the way, we also discovered pretty colorful churches, an enormous banyan tree that made me feel absolutely tiny 😉, and had lunch in a paradise setting.

Église protestante avec toit orange octogonal et murs blancs entourée de végétation tropicale, Moorea, Polynésie française

Église Saint-Joseph au toit vert et murs blancs avec une montagne volcanique verdoyante en arrière-plan, Moorea, Polynésie française

Immense banian aux racines aériennes spectaculaires à Moorea avec une silhouette humaine au pied pour l'échelle, Polynésie française

Assiette de riz et légumes polynésiens avec hibiscus rouge sur une table en bois face au lagon turquoise de Moorea depuis un restaurant en bord de mer, Polynésie française

To finish, we visited the sea turtle clinic run by the association Te Mana O Te Moana, located in the lagoon of the Intercontinental Moorea Resort & Spa hotel — which has permanently closed since Covid, though the clinic seems to still be operating there. The hotel also had two dolphins in captivity that visitors could swim with. Personally, I found it heartbreaking to see them in their pool just meters from the open ocean…

Collage of the Te Mana O Te Moana sea turtle clinic in Moorea: rehabilitation lagoon, young green sea turtle in shallow water and decorative turtle sculpture, French Polynesia

A little side note: we had some difficulty finding the tourist sites as signage was scarce on the island, but the Polynesian locals always pointed us in the right direction with great warmth and kindness 😊!

Pink and mauve sunset over the lagoon of Moorea — French Polynesia

The magical encounter

Panoramic view from the boat over the turquoise lagoon and lush green hills of Moorea, French Polynesia — *View on Moorea*

That day will stay etched in my memory forever. We had booked a trip with Dolphins and Whales Watching Expedition to see humpback whales and, if we were lucky, swim with them. The sea was rough, and we’d already made peace with “just” watching from the boat… but in the end, we got to jump in the water. And that’s when I heard the most extraordinary, completely unexpected sound: whale song! Then two shapes rose up from the deep blue and swam right past me — a mother and her calf. A moment that was thrilling, a little nerve-wracking, and absolutely overwhelming.
👉 I shared this whale encounter in full detail in my article on whales.

Silhouette of a humpback whale in the deep blue waters of Moorea, French Polynesia — NaturElfes photo

After that, they took us to the well-known spot for stingrays and blacktip reef sharks to swim with them. My first encounter with sharks — truly impressive and extraordinary! However, I hadn’t realized the company practiced feeding (meaning they hand-feed the animals), which I wasn’t a fan of. As a result the rays interacted a lot with us and one of them even gave me a little “kiss” with its wing 😊!

Collage of blacktip reef sharks and stingrays swimming in the shallow crystal-clear waters of the Moorea lagoon while snorkeling, French Polynesia

That day also gave us the chance to admire a beautiful brown booby and a few common mynas 😊. Overall, I felt this company wasn’t necessarily the best choice — on top of the feeding, I found them quite lax when it came to safety during the whale swim.

Fou brun posé sur le moteur d'un bateau face au lagon turquoise de Moorea, Polynésie française

Deux martins tristes (Acridotheres tristis) au bec et pattes jaunes posés sur un rocher volcanique au bord du lagon de Moorea, Polynésie française

Coconut palms of Moorea photographed from below against a deep blue sky, French Polynesia

The Three Coconuts Pass: a hike through the heart of the jungle

Pink and yellow hibiscus flower with golden veins fallen on the dirt ground during the Three Coconuts Pass hike, Moorea, French Polynesia

That day, we set aside the water to explore the interior of the island. We chose the Three Coconuts Pass hike, which starts from the stunning Opunohu Belvedere. A beautiful hike right through the heart of the Polynesian jungle, with absolutely breathtaking vegetation.

Collage of the Three Coconuts Pass sign known as

The trail winds through roots, crosses a bamboo grove, passes majestic trees like the Polynesian chestnut and reveals beautiful wildflowers including wild orchids. And at the top, a breathtaking 360° panoramic view awaits!

Red dirt hiking trail with exposed roots winding through the dense jungle of the Three Coconuts Pass, Moorea, French Polynesia

Collage of the Three Coconuts Pass hike in Moorea: bamboo grove, pink wild orchid, pink pompom wildflower and trail beneath an arched canopy of trees, French Polynesia

The hike is 4.3 km round trip with 198 m of elevation gain — allow 2 to 3 hours. There is some uphill but what really makes it challenging is the heat and especially the humidity. Bring plenty of water and start early! Keep an eye on the weather — if it has been raining, check the water levels in the streams before setting off.

View from the Three Coconuts Pass over the bay of Moorea, volcanic mountain and purple wildflowers in the foreground, French Polynesia

The lagoon all to ourselves

Crystal clear turquoise lagoon of Moorea with anchored sailboats and lush volcanic mountains in the background, photographed at water level, French Polynesia

For this day, we really treated ourselves by booking a private tour with Mermaid Private Boat Tour. It’s run by two young people, Luna (Dutch) and Clément (French), and I recommend them 100%! They are wonderful and deeply respectful of nature. Luna got in the water with us — it genuinely felt like swimming with a friend — and she took stunning photos.

Small wooded islet with white sand beach surrounded by crystal clear turquoise lagoon under a blue sky, Moorea, French Polynesia

We set off very early at 7am to have all the spots to ourselves and above all to maximize our chances of spotting dolphins, who also appreciate the calm of the morning. Mission accomplished — the dolphins showed up quickly and came to play with the boat! With such a small vessel, we were incredibly close to them, an absolutely… OLALA moment 😍! My personal synonym for wow 😉, born during my first snorkeling session in Bora Bora and never leaving me for the rest of the trip in French Polynesia!

Collage of dolphin watching from the Mermaid Private Boat Tour boat in Moorea: travelers photographing the dolphins and a dolphin swimming at the surface with the mountains in the background, French Polynesia

Then we sailed across the lagoon, which was so incredibly clear we could see the fish as if we were already in the water. That’s actually how we spotted two sea turtles — a green one and a hawksbill — what more could you ask for 😊?

Coral reef of Moorea visible from the surface through the crystal clear water with cloud reflections, French Polynesia

Green sea turtle seen from the surface while snorkeling in the turquoise lagoon of Moorea, with the shadow of a snorkeler visible, French Polynesia

Turquoise lagoon of Moorea with coral reefs visible from the surface, overwater bungalows and lush green mountains in the background, French Polynesia

Then off to the coral garden — a place so beautiful I couldn’t stop gasping in amazement into my mask 😊!

Snorkeler surrounded by numerous yellow and black coachman butterflyfish in the turquoise lagoon of Moorea, French Polynesia

Collage of marine life while snorkeling in Moorea: pink anemone with black fish, eagle ray in open water and striped butterflyfish on the sandy bottom, French Polynesia

We also headed back to the stingray and shark spot, but this time with no animal feeding whatsoever — something I truly appreciated!

Stingray and blacktip reef shark swimming in the shallow turquoise waters of the Moorea lagoon, French Polynesia

The great thing about a private tour is that you can customize it — I had asked if we could visit the underwater Tiki sculptures. So we got to enjoy this unique underwater art, once again all to ourselves… well, almost — we had the company of a beautiful cowfish, apparently quite the art lover himself 😉.

Cowfish (boxfish) swimming in the open blue water while snorkeling in the lagoon of Moorea, French Polynesia

Photo of an underwater sculpture in Moorea

End of our stay on this magnificent island — next stop Fakarava, the final chapter of this Polynesian journey, and certainly not the least!

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