Decoding Bora Bora’s Motus: A Guide to Each Island’s Unique Charm

Bora Bora’s lagoon is ringed by a necklace of small, low-lying islands called motus, and the one that appears in nearly every postcard — Motu Tapu — sits just to the right as you enter Teavanui Pass. Roughly 10,600 people live across the main island and its satellite islets, but the motus concentrate nearly all of the island’s high-end accommodation and most of its day-trip traffic. This guide breaks down each named motu — what is actually there, who it suits, and what the photos leave out — so you can decide which ones deserve your time and which you can skip.

If you are planning a trip, the key distinction is between motus you can visit independently and those tied to a resort or a specific tour. Motu Mute, for example, holds the airport — you will land there regardless — but its western side also hosts overwater bungalows that can cost up to $10,000 per night. The catch is that most of these islands are private or semi-private, and accessing them requires either a resort booking, a lagoon tour that includes lunch on a motu, or a rental boat small enough to navigate the shallow passages.

Bora Bora’s Motus: Geography and Access

The motus form a broken arc around the main island, with Teavanui Pass — the main channel into the lagoon — splitting the chain into two rough groups. To the north and east, Motu Mute (the airport island) and the conjoined string of islets that host the St. Regis, the Meridien, and several other luxury resorts. To the south and west, Motu Tapu, Motu Tevairoa, Motu Pitiauu, and a handful of smaller, less developed spits of sand. Driving times do not apply here: the only way between them is by boat, and transfer times range from five minutes (Motu Mute to Vaitape) to roughly 25 minutes from the airport to the southern resorts.

A common misconception is that you can island-hop the motus on foot. You cannot. The channels between them are deep enough for boats but too wide to wade, and the interior of every motu is thick with pandanus and tiare plantations — not walking trails. What you can do is rent a small powerboat from the Matira side, near the Sofitel Marara Hotel, and putter between the southern motus without a guide. The limitation is fuel: the 6hp run-abouts carry just enough for a half-day loop, and you will need to plan your route before leaving the dock.

Where to Go: The Named Motus and What They Offer

Motu Tapu — The Photographed One

Motu Tapu is the sacred island, visible from the main island’s southern coast and the default stop for every lagoon tour. The draw is the cooking demonstration: parrot fish caught minutes earlier are grilled directly on coral, which holds a steady heat, and the fish is covered with leaves of the tau bush — a medicinal plant Tahitians use to prevent sticking and burning. The beach is indeed gorgeous, but the tour operators control access, meaning you will share the sand with 30 to 50 other people. No independent visits are allowed, and the interior is closed to everyone.

Motu Mute — Airport and Ultra-Luxury

Your flight lands on Motu Mute, and if you are staying at one of the resorts on its western side — the string of conjoined motus — you will transfer directly by boat. The airport itself is a single runway with a small terminal; domestic flights from Tahiti take roughly 50 minutes. The notable feature on this motu is the mega-yacht “A”, a 117-metre vessel owned by Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, which sometimes anchors off the coast. The yacht has 44mm bomb-proof windows, three swimming pools, and a 230sqm master suite accessible by biometric fingerprint only — none of which you will see unless you are a guest. For most travellers, Motu Mute is simply a transit point. The resort bungalows on this side are among the most expensive in the world, with single-night rates reaching $10,000.

Motu Pitiauu — Surf and Plantations

On the seaside of Motu Pitiauu, a right-hand break offers one of only two surfable waves on Bora Bora (the other is at Teavanui Pass). The surf here is not consistent — it needs the right swell direction and a decent trade wind — but when it works, it is empty. The interior of the motu is given over to large plantations of tiare flowers, used for perfumes and Monoi oil, and pandanus, whose leaves are woven into the roofing that tops nearly every luxury resort bungalow. Pandanus thatch lasts up to 15 years, which explains why hotels invest in it despite the labour-intensive installation. The motu overlooks Point Matira on a finger of white sand that was once reserved for Club Med guests. Today, you can rent a 6hp run-about from the Matira side, near the Sofitel Marara, and explore the shoreline without a guide or license.

Motu Tevairoa — History and a Golf Course That Never Was

Motu Tevairoa is the largest of the southern motus and home to the Pearl Beach Resort. Its interior grows vegetables and watermelons, a reminder that these islands were once self-sufficient agricultural plots long before tourism arrived. A historical footnote: Captain Cook recovered an anchor here that had been abandoned by the French explorer Louis-Antoine de Bougainville, trading nails and trinkets with locals to retrieve it. More recently, there was a project for a golf course on Motu Tevairoa that never materialised — the land remains mostly undeveloped beyond the resort grounds. The French ethnologist Paul-Émile Victor lived on the motus of Bora Bora before his death in 1995, and his presence speaks to a quieter era when these islands housed researchers and fishermen, not five-star guests.

A practical look at timing, costs, and the logistical realities of visiting the motus.

Planning Your Motu Visit: Timing, Costs, and Friction Points

Most travellers visit the motus as part of a half-day lagoon tour, which typically includes Motu Tapu, the Lagoonarium (a private motu beside the Meridien), and a snorkel stop at Apoo Mao — the shark hole where large sharks once entered the lagoon through a tunnel in the reef. That tunnel has been gradually covered by coral over the last 30 years, and the sharks are less common than they were a decade ago. Tours cost roughly $100–$150 per person and run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you want a quieter experience, the 6hp run-about rental runs about $80–$100 for a half-day and gives you Motu Pitiauu and Motu Tevairoa with no set itinerary.

Getting There and Away

International arrivals land at Faa’a International Airport (PPT) in Tahiti, then connect to Bora Bora Airport on Motu Mute via a 50-minute domestic flight. From the airport, boat transfers fan out to the resorts and to Vaitape, the main settlement on the main island. If you are not staying at a resort, the public boat into Vaitape runs infrequently — check the schedule at the airport information desk. Car rentals are limited on the main island, and scooters and bicycles are available in Vaitape, but none of these help you reach the motus. Every motu visit requires a boat.

Best Time to Visit the Motus

Dry season (May to October) brings steadier trade winds and less rain, which means clearer water for snorkelling and fewer cancellations on lagoon tours. The shoulder months of April and November can be excellent — fewer tourists and still decent weather. November through April is the wet season, with tropical storms possible and stronger currents outside the lagoon. The water temperature stays warm year-round, hovering around 26–29°C, so the main variable is wind, not cold. If you are renting a small boat, go in the morning: the trade winds strengthen by midday, and the chop between the motus can make the ride uncomfortable in a 6hp run-about.

Costs and Currency

The CFP Franc (XPF) is the local currency, and credit cards are accepted at most resorts and tour operators. Small shops and the market in Vaitape prefer cash. Budget travel runs $150–$200 per day if you stay on the main island and cook your own meals; mid-range runs $300–$500; luxury resorts start at $800 per night and climb steeply from there. Tipping is not customary — service charges are included — and a daily hotel tax is applied at check-out. Reef-safe sunscreen is required by law, and fines exist for damaging coral or littering. The environmental rules are enforced unevenly, but the resorts take them seriously.

On the Ground: What to Know Before You Go

Mobile Coverage and Wi-Fi

Mobile coverage is good around Vaitape and the main resorts but weakens noticeably on the remote motus. If you are staying on Motu Pitiauu or Motu Tevairoa, expect patchy data speeds. Wi-Fi is available at most hotels, though the bandwidth can be strained during peak check-in hours. Local carriers Vini and Vodafone French Polynesia offer tourist SIMs at Tahiti’s airport and on the main islands; buying one at PPT before your connecting flight saves time. If you need reliable connectivity for work, consider a local SIM rather than relying on resort Wi-Fi.

What to Pack for a Motu Day Trip

Reef-safe sunscreen is non-negotiable — not just because of the law, but because the standard stuff damages the coral you came to see. A rash guard reduces the amount of sunscreen you need and protects against the sun’s reflection off the water. Water shoes are useful on Motu Pitiauu, where the shoreline is a mix of sand and coral rubble. If you are renting a small boat, bring a dry bag for your phone and wallet; the 6hp run-abouts have no storage compartments. Snorkel gear is usually provided on tours, but renting a 6hp run-about means bringing your own mask and fins — the rental shops near the Sofitel Marara do not always include them.

Bora Bora’s Motus: Common Visitor Questions

Can I stay overnight on a motu?

Yes, but only on motus with resorts — Motu Mute (St. Regis, Meridien, and others) and Motu Tevairoa (Pearl Beach Resort). Independent accommodation on the motus does not exist. If you want to sleep on a motu without the resort price, you cannot; every overnight option on the motus is luxury-tier.

Which motu has the best snorkelling?

The Lagoonarium, on the private motu beside the Meridien, has the most concentrated marine life — the hotel stocks it with fish and rays. For a less controlled experience, the reef edge near Apoo Mao offers deeper water and occasional shark sightings, though the coral tunnel that once brought sharks into the lagoon has been closing for years. The trade-off is that the Lagoonarium can feel crowded, while Apoo Mao is quieter but less reliably active.

Are the motus accessible without a tour?

Only Motu Mute (the airport island) is reachable without a tour or resort booking, and even then you are limited to the terminal area. The southern motus — Pitiauu, Tevairoa, and Tapu — require either a rental boat or a guided tour. The 6hp run-about rental near the Sofitel Marara is the closest thing to independent access, but it still restricts you to the shoreline; the interiors are private property or too dense to walk through.

Is the surf on Motu Pitiauu worth bringing a board?

Only if you are already carrying a soft-top or a travel board. The right-hand break works on a south-west swell and a light offshore wind, conditions that occur maybe a handful of days per month outside the wet season. The wave is short and mellow — fine for a longboarder, underwhelming for anyone accustomed to Indo or Fiji. The other surf spot, Teavanui Pass, is deeper and faster but requires a boat drop-off and local knowledge of the channel currents.

What is the biggest mistake first-time visitors make?

Assuming they can see multiple motus in one day without a tour. The lagoon looks small on a map, but the boat rides between motus take 15–25 minutes, and the resorts restrict beach access to guests. A typical mistake is booking a half-day tour expecting to explore Motu Tapu, the Lagoonarium, and Apoo Mao at leisure — in reality, you get roughly 45 minutes at each stop. If you want more time on the water, the rental boat option gives you control over the pace, but you sacrifice the guided commentary and the picnic lunch.

Why the Motus Matter — and Why They Don’t

Bora Bora’s motus are not a checklist of islands to conquer. They are a logistical constraint that shapes every decision you make: where you sleep, how you move, what you see, and how much you spend. The traveller who understands that the motus are private, shallow, and boat-dependent will have a smoother trip than the one who arrives expecting a string of public beaches connected by footpaths. The one detail that reframes the whole destination is this: the most photographed motu in the South Pacific is also the most restricted — you can eat on its shore but never walk its interior. That tension between visibility and access defines Bora Bora better than any postcard does. For a broader look at the main island’s coastline, the ten best spots around the main island fill in the gaps that the motus leave out.

Sources and further reading

Motus of Bora Bora guide. Bora Bora Insider, accessed 2025.

Bora Bora Travel Guide. Skaiya, accessed 2025.