Marae of Bora Bora: The Heart of Polynesian Heritage
Marae Fare-Opu in Faanui Bay is the largest surviving marae on Bora Bora, but its 25-meter-long ahu — the altar platform — is now bisected by the island’s belt road, a physical scar that tells you more about Polynesian history than any intact structure could. The immense upright coral stones, still standing despite the road and the 1820s quarrying that sent slabs to build the Vaitape jetty, mark a site reserved for kings. Chief Ma’i ruled this part of Bora Bora in the 15th or 16th century, and his descendants still hold the land. Turtle petroglyphs carved into two