BOAT-COMPARATOR Guide

Boat Rental in Papeete: Tahiti, Moorea and the Lagoon in a Day

Unlike Raiatea and the Leeward Islands, Papeete lends itself to day trips in Tahiti's lagoon and on Moorea's, just a short sail away.

While Raiatea and the Leeward Islands are best sailed on a week-long charter, Papeete, Tahiti's capital, lends itself instead to day trips within the lagoon — a different format, just as spectacular.

Tahiti's lagoon, in a day

From Papeete's marina, a trip by RIB or catamaran follows Tahiti's fringing reef, stopping on a motu (coral islet) for a picnic with your feet in the water, before heading back by late afternoon.

Moorea, some twenty miles away

Moorea, its jagged volcanic peaks visible from Papeete on a clear day, is reached in a little over two hours' sail. Its twin bays, Cook's Bay and Opunohu Bay, rank among the most photographed anchorages in the Pacific.

Swimming with rays

In Moorea's lagoon, guided excursions let you get close to stingrays and blacktip reef sharks in shallow water — a signature activity on the island, quite different from the offshore cruising practised further north-west.

Choosing a boat

RIB or day-cruiser for a lagoon day trip from Papeete; catamaran for a multi-day escape to Moorea, at rates close to those in Raiatea given the distance and the cost of freight in French Polynesia.

Budget and comparison

Catamaran €5,000–10,000 a week depending on season, fuel and provisioning extra. Boat-Comparator compares the offers available; our guide to chartering a catamaran in Raiatea, French Polynesia covers the Leeward Islands route for a full week away.

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