Called the “Heart of the Pacific,” Moorea’s silhouette forms a romantic, distinctive heart shape. Intimate, rustic, relaxed, it drew us into its island vibe as soon as we stepped on shore. This 2.5-million-year-old volcanic island is known for its jagged peaks and shallow lagoons, full of sea life of every description. According to local legend, Moorea was once named Aimeho i te rāra varu — “Aimeho of the Eight Tentacles.” The island, particularly Mount Rotui, was believed to be the head of a giant octopus whose tentacles formed the surrounding bays and mountains.

As we explored more, it was easy to see why mythology clings so naturally to this place. Moorea is a volcanic island formed by a hotspot in the Earth’s mantle. It features eight main volcanic peaks and is known for its rugged interior. The northern coast is famous for its two deep, almost fjord-like inlets — Cook’s Bay (Baie de Cook) and Opunohu Bay — separated by Mount Rotui. The viewpoints above offer brilliant views of the island and the beaches below.

Moorea is way more laid-back and chilled than its bustling sister island, Tahiti. A mere 10 miles from Tahiti by ferry, we continued our island-hopping in search of turquoise lagoons filled with colorful sea creatures. Like Hawaii, this is also a humpback whale sanctuary. Between July and November, humpback whales migrate to the warm waters of Moorea to mate and give birth. It is one of the few places in the world where swimming with these whales is permitted.

The coral reef surrounding the island lies very close to shore, creating a shallow lagoon where stingrays and sharks can be found, making for popular snorkeling tours. We stayed in a lovely little bed-and-breakfast on the ocean and explored the rural surroundings on foot. Our friend from Tahiti dropped by with his rental car and kidnapped us for a full day of exploring this lush tropical island. We discovered deep fjord-like inlets, lush jungles, beautiful beaches, and even tasted homemade jam on one of the many local pineapple plantations.

Our B&B had kayaks for guests to use, so we set off for a long paddle around our end of the island. We would just roll over the side and snorkel in whatever serene lagoon looked inviting. Fish of every description awaited us in the world below. Tired but exhilarated, we arrived back at our bungalow on the beach. When lifting the bulky kayak up onto shore, it slipped out of my hands and the heavy end slid down my shin, peeling the skin off like peeling an apple. Luckily, we weren’t in the bay with the sharks!

I cleaned it thoroughly, but I knew from living in Hawaii that this was an “Oh s*it” situation. When you have an open wound, the worst thing you can do is go swimming — especially in the ocean. There are multiple types of staph just waiting to infect the open spot. The dilemma was that we were in some of the most beautiful snorkeling areas on the planet — maybe the universe. What to do? Life is full of choices.

Check out the adventures we’ve had in the last 22+ non-stop years of travel. Not for the faint of heart. Being the careful, overly cautious person that I am (cough-cough), we booked a snorkeling boat trip to a remote island the very next day, famous for up-close encounters with sharks and manta rays. What a day! Singing, dancing, BBQ on the beach, and the most intimate up-close encounters with sharks and rays we have ever had! Dilemma solved… or so I thought!



Love, Light & Laughter, 

xo  Nancy & Joseph

TRAVEL NOTES:

Welcome — ‘Maeva’

Fare Tokoau Moorea

Friendly welcoming Alex and Tea have created a wonderful little 5 unit, sea view resort, on a shallow lagoon, boasting a colorful sunset nightly.  Free kayaks to the small motu island provides good snorkeling.  These friendly folks help with any need to make it a wonderful stay.  Garden bungalow next to the road.