Moorea beaches and Moorea Island in general is the second most popular tourist destination in all of French Polynesia (Tahiti being the first). It is located northwest of Tahiti and can easily be reached by ferry or plane from Papeete. Beaches in Moorea are known for their crystal clear blue waters. The island is known for its stunningly lush interior mountains, sprawling and colorful vegetation, and white and black sand beaches. In fact, Moorea is the only other island in French Polynesia where there are both white sand beaches and black sand beaches.

Moorea Island beaches are spread out along the island, which boasts two bays, Cook’s Bay and Opunohu Bay. As travelers descend upon this island paradise, they are struck with the sheer diversity of topography, including amazing white sand beaches, black sand beaches, colorful flowers, towering mountains covered with lush flora, lagoons, and of course, the turquoise blue waters.

There are two kinds of beaches in Moorea: public and private. The two public beaches are Temae Beach and Faimano Beach. Temae Beach is the largest of all the Moorea Island beaches, and boasts excellent swimming conditions, a white sand beach, and access to great snorkeling. Access this public beach on the north end of the Sofitel Hotel nearby. It is best to use the knowledge of locals or people staying at Moorea hotels who have a concierge service, to ensure you know where you are going.

Tahiti Map

Faimano Beach is also a pretty white sand beach that is famous for awesome snorkeling. It is accessible via the Moorea Lagoon Hotel. It is harder to find, and thus less crowded, so it may be worth it to explore where it is, as you will have a more low-key and relaxing experience.

The public Moorea Island beaches are just fine, but since most travelers will be heading to the island on international flights and from international destinations, they are likely to be staying in one of the Moorea hotels or Moorea resorts. If this is in fact the case, then you will have access to one of the many private beaches in Moorea. This is really the way to go if you are staying at a resort, not only because of the privacy factor, but also because of the fact that you will likely have 24-hour access to a concierge who will be able to direct you in all matters relating to things to do in Moorea.

And although the Moorea beaches are probably the main attraction of this island in French Polynesia, there is a whole host of other activities available to tourists. People visit Moorea Island beaches for water sports like scuba diving, sailing, wind surfing, surfing, swimming, jet skiing, snorkeling, hang gliding, and a lot more.

If you’re not spending all of your time taking in the amazing vistas from one of the Moorea beaches, then you might choose to take a 4X4 tour of the island’s interior, a great way to see the mountainous region and all of the island’s lovely vegetation, animals, and other attractions.

The island of Moorea now rivals Tahiti for tourism business for good reason. It’s raw, natural beauty provides an alluring invitation for all those who see pictures of this earthly treasure in the sea. The beaches in Moorea, water sports, nightlife, shopping, dining, entertainment, and relaxation are all brilliant, and rival what any of the other destinations in French Polynesia have to offer.