10 Best Things to do on Moorea Island, Tahiti

Tahiti, the dream vacation. A place you’ve only seen on screensavers. But ‘Tahiti’ is really made up of 119 islands so how do you go about choosing which one to visit? When I was on my search of finding the perfect honeymoon destination, Moorea Island came up in more than one article. They all claimed beautiful beaches, incredible mountains, and so much to do. All of which sounded like the perfect destination for my husband and me. And now, having spent our honeymoon on this incredible island, I share with you all of the must-do’s and where to stay.

Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea Beach Resort

After researching where to stay on Moorea Island, we landed on Sofitel. This is in no way a budget friendly option. But this was a honeymoon trip and if we were going to “do Tahiti”, we were going to do it all the way. After cruising the island a few times, we believe we made the best decision for what mattered most to us. Sofitel in my opinion sits on the best beach that we have seen any resort sit on. And we formed that opinion after cruising the island on the road and on the water. It has garden huts, beach front bungalows and overwater bungalows. The resort was well kept and beautifully built up. The water the property sat on also had the best snorkeling around. The staff were wonderful and kind. They even helped us learn Tahitian words like “La Ora Na” meaning hello! And “Mauruuru” which means Thank You.

Rent a Moped

There is one road that circles the entire island, and you can cruise around the whole place on a moped in under 3 hours. That is what my husband and I did, with a few stops to check out the other beaches. My husband had so much fun driving while I enjoyed the views from the back of our two-seater. It was such a quick and convenient way to do a ton of exploring. It cost us about 50 USD to rent it for the day that we scheduled through the activities center at Sofitel. They were able to make the reservation for the very next day, so we didn’t have to plan too far in advance. It was a great way to leave the resort and to find hidden restaurant gems elsewhere. It was also a great means of transportation to get us to what I consider the most incredible view on the island: d’Opunohu Bay.

Ta’ahiamanu Beach

Rested at the mouth of d’Opunohu Bay is one of the best beaches on Mo’orea island. With white sand, turquoise water, tall palm trees and views of the mountains and sailboats, it’s no wonder we came to this spot more than once. This view is what I imagine to be the screensaver of the island and yet photos can do no justice. If you rent a moped, car, or an e-bike, make this beach a destination. This beach has restrooms, a parking lot and is close to the Hilton resort where you can go to grab lunch.

Hike up Magic Mountain

The hike up to Magic Mountain is a must. Especially if you’re looking to do something active because you’ve been laying on the beach drinking too many Mai Tais for too many days in a row. This hike is not one you need a tour guide for and can accomplish in under 2 hours. The road is paved all the way to the top but steep. I hiked it in sandals and did just fine but I’m not a stranger to hiking. The steepness can possibly cause you to slip so I would still recommend wearing sneakers. At the top of the mountain, you are rewarded with a 360-degree view of the island, with both mountain and beach views. From here you can see more clearly the outline of the magnificent reef that protects the island. When you’re done, make sure to treat yourself to a fresh fruit smoothie sold at the entrance. They have a restroom, souvenirs, snacks, and refreshing drinks. They are open every day.

ATV Tour

Taking an ATV tour is the best way to see the interior of the island. Our tour guide taught us about the sacredness of the mountains and what meanings they hold. Not to mention driving the ATVs was a ton of fun. This is another activity we booked directly through the resort’s activity center but there are plenty of options to choose from with an easy web search. Viator is a great website that we used for some of the other activities and is owned by TripAdvisor. Our ATV tour made its way through pineapple fields, forests, down the coast and even up Magic Mountain. So, if you’re not interested in hiking, you can find an ATV tour that will guide you to the top. We also made a stop at Belvedere, which is the crater of the volcanic mountains. You are able to see both bays from the highest point.

Snorkel Tour with Sharks & Stingrays

We used Alex Lagoon Tours, and we highly recommend them. Alex was knowledgeable of the island and did a great job making sure we had fun. I would suggest booking this tour at the beginning of your trip so you’re not ‘snorkeled out’ because Alex takes you to a great handful of places to see a ton of fish, turtles, and the reef. But at any point in your trip this tour is worth it because he takes you to a special place to swim with reef sharks and stingrays. That alone makes it an unforgettable experience.

Sunset Cruise

We used Voila Moorea and cruised around on a boat called Taboo. This is a tour we found on Viator. It was a wonderful way to see the magnificent mountains from a different view as the sun sets around you. We got to learn more about the island and the different bays we cruised past. We even got to go outside of the reef barrier into the choppier waters. It was both terrifying and exciting, another unforgettable moment. Riding the larger waves makes you appreciate the calmer waters within the reef barrier.

Visit Temae Beach

This was one of my favorite beaches on the island and luckily this was the beach that Sofitel resort was located on. All we had to do was walk outside of our bungalow to enjoy some of the best snorkeling on the island. If you’re not staying with Sofitel, it is definitely worth it to make it a beach day at Temae. Be sure to bring your snorkeling gear! There are a ton of beautiful fish and reef, my husband and I snorkeled nearly every day we were there. One big tip is to walk all the way to the left side of the beach and ride the current towards the resort. It is such a wonderful but leisurely adventure. This is also the beach we were sitting at when we saw a whale right outside the reef barrier swim across, coming up out of the water over 5 times. The view you see is the mountains that tower the main Tahiti island.

Have a Sunset Dinner

There are a dozen restaurants that are located right on the water hidden all around the island. But if you’re going to experience a beautiful evening dinner at one of them, make sure they have a view of the sun setting. On our last evening on the island, we went to Moorea Beach Café for our sunset dinner, and we wished we had gone there sooner for food. I personally was hesitant because they are marketed as a pizza joint, but they served delicious dinner options as well. One of them being a lobster bisque dumpling soup. I’m pretty sure we licked the plate clean on that one.

Stay in a Beachfront Bungalow

This is where you would expect me to tell you to stay in an overwater bungalow. But I’ll only tell you to do that so you can cross it off your bucket list. We spent most of our days on a beach front and a few days in the overwater bungalow on the back end. And we both agree that our beachfront experience was better. If we could redo our planning, we would have gotten the overwater experience out of the way and ended our time with the beach hut. The overwater bungalow felt excluded from all the amenities of the resort, and we experienced much more of the strong winds being over the water and exposed. And I personally preferred having my cup of coffee on the sandy beach each morning as I watched the sunrise. We were also only steps away from the bars, restaurants, and the water toys. It was super convenient to be able to come and go between the beach and our front porch. We were sad to leave on moving day.

Catch a Tahitian Show

You might have to ask around to figure out which resort will be hosting a show. Luckily the Sofitel resort had a couple of shows happening while we were there that we got to see. Make sure to reserve as soon as possible because there is a limited amount of seating. This was the closest we got to seeing authentic Tahitian culture while being on Moorea Island. The performers sang such beautiful songs, played guitar, danced, and even juggled sticks of fire. It was a memorable experience that we almost missed out on had we not heard about it from someone.

General Tips

If you stay on Moorea Island, you will not wear nearly as many clothes as you think you will.

For your alcoholic beverage selections, stick to easy drinks like their local beers, wines, and Mai Tais.

You can do nearly any activity in a pair of sandals.

You can use USD cash anywhere that you can’t (or don’t want to) use credit card.

If you visit during the summer months, the sun sets around 5:30pm.

If you’re planning a trip for more than 6 or 7 days, try to take at least one island trip to one of Tahiti’s other islands.