Moorea, French Polynesia 2026

     We left Papeete around 5:00 AM to sail 11 whole miles so that when we woke up on the morning of March 25 we were anchored in Opunohu Bay in the beautiful island of Moorea.  Some call this the most beautiful island in the South Pacific, or even the world, and we would be hard pressed to dispute that.  We started the day with breakfast in the back of Zaandam’s main dining room, a restaurant with a new view in every port, looking out on the blue water and craggy green mountains. 

This was our third visit to Moorea; you can view the others, the first of which included an excursion around the island, here:

https://baderjournal.com/2016/02/16/opunohu-bay-moorea/

https://baderjournal.com/2018/05/21/opanuhu-bay-moorea/

With about 18,000 inhabitants Moorea is the second largest of the Society Islands in population, although third in area (Tahiti’s population is much larger than the total of all the other Society Islands).  It is thought that the Society Islands were first settled in the second century by navigators from Samoa and/or Tonga.  Captain Cook was the first western explorer to visit Moorea in the 1770’s but his visit went poorly, ending in violence.  Although Cook’s Bay in Moorea was named for him, Captain Cook actually anchored in Opunohu Bay, as we did. 

     In mid-morning we boarded a tender that took us out of the bay to a tender dock in the very small village of Papetoai.  On the dock we were welcomed by a small group of singers.

     Behind the dock is an open air, roofed pavilion full of vendors’ tables.  A great deal of apparently locally made handicrafts, artworks, clothing and jewelry is for sale.  Black pearls were also available, some in jewelry and others not.  While they aren’t really cheap, it seemed to us that the prices for the pearls were lower here than in Papeete.  A number of ship passengers were perusing the vendors’ goods and some were sitting on the low walls where they were joined by dogs who seem to hang out here hoping for handouts (food was available for people to buy).

     Near the vendors’ pavilion was the octagonal Protestant Temple of Papetoai.  Light yellow with a bright orange roof, it is clearly visible from the water.  It was originally built by missionaries in the 1820’s or 30’s, constructed of wood in an octagonal shape on top of a local stone religious platform called a marae.  In the late 1880’s it was replaced with a stone church, also octagonal.  This church is generally recognized as the oldest western building still standing in Polynesia.  Near the church on the opposite side from the water is a separate bell tower.  An interesting mural on the wall of a nearby building includes the Protestant Temple along with a sailing ship and a local man covered in tattoos. 

     The last time we were here we turned left as we walked out of the village so this time we turned right.  We didn’t walk very far and there was not much of interest beyond the excellent landscape and many colorful flowers.  We did cross over a small picturesque river or stream, which might have been either Vaihana stream or Riviere Papetoai (or something else).

     That was enough for us so we walked back to the dock and boarded a tender that took us back to the ship, where we had lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon.  It had been a very cloudy and drizzly day while we were ashore, but during the afternoon — after we returned to the ship — some folks were caught in a real downpour.  We talked to one person who got drenched while riding in an open boat.  We sailed away after dinner and went to bed since we had an early excursion scheduled for the next morning.