On the morning of June 4th, after a few hours of sailing, we arrived in Bora Bora through the Tevavanui Pass, to the east of the island. We had heard mixed opinions about Bora Bora: some praised it as a place of rare beauty, while others described it as overly touristy and with a spoiled natural environment. We were therefore curious to see for ourselves what kind of impression it would leave on us.
Arrival at the Bora Bora entrance passAponapu Bay
We headed to Aponapu Bay, in the less crowded southeastern part of the island, where we moored to one of the available mooring buoys. In fact, in Bora Bora, anchoring is only allowed for short periods in two designated zones; all other areas are equipped with a good number of paid mooring buoys. This is certainly a source of income for the locals, but it also helps preserve the integrity of the coral reefs found in most of the seabeds.
In the calm, clear waters of the bay, we swam with a group of rays that gracefully and confidently glided around us.
The following day, we moved in front of the Yacht Club, from where it was easy to reach the town of Vaitape to restock on food, as we routinely and necessarily do. The town mostly develops along the coastal road, where small supermarkets, restaurants, craft shops, and venues welcome the many tourists who flock to the island.
At the mooring buoy in front of the Bora Bora Yacht Club
Anchored not far from us were Alex and Tamara on “No Stress”; so we decided to join them in the enchanting bay in front of Motu Toopua, in the southwest of the island. Here, the water is particularly crystal clear and the colors of the seabed are dazzling. It is also possible to dive and swim among numerous blacktip reef sharks and many rays.
At the end of a beautiful day, we reached the beach by dinghy to fly the drone and capture aerial footage of the island.
Tehou Bay from aboveMotu To’opua
Overall, the impression we got of Bora Bora was extremely positive, thanks to the island’s unique and striking layout and the abundance of natural beauty that lives up to its reputation. On the other hand, the fragility of its coral reefs makes it highly vulnerable to excessive tourism. This concern, however, applies to all of French Polynesia, which, in addition to over-tourism, is also facing the consequences of climate change.
On June 8th, we set off again, heading towards Maupiti, our last destination in the Society Islands.
Bora Bora
On the morning of June 4th, after a few hours of sailing, we arrived in Bora Bora through the Tevavanui Pass, to the east of the island. We had heard mixed opinions about Bora Bora: some praised it as a place of rare beauty, while others described it as overly touristy and with a spoiled natural environment. We were therefore curious to see for ourselves what kind of impression it would leave on us.
We headed to Aponapu Bay, in the less crowded southeastern part of the island, where we moored to one of the available mooring buoys. In fact, in Bora Bora, anchoring is only allowed for short periods in two designated zones; all other areas are equipped with a good number of paid mooring buoys. This is certainly a source of income for the locals, but it also helps preserve the integrity of the coral reefs found in most of the seabeds.
In the calm, clear waters of the bay, we swam with a group of rays that gracefully and confidently glided around us.
The following day, we moved in front of the Yacht Club, from where it was easy to reach the town of Vaitape to restock on food, as we routinely and necessarily do. The town mostly develops along the coastal road, where small supermarkets, restaurants, craft shops, and venues welcome the many tourists who flock to the island.
Anchored not far from us were Alex and Tamara on “No Stress”; so we decided to join them in the enchanting bay in front of Motu Toopua, in the southwest of the island. Here, the water is particularly crystal clear and the colors of the seabed are dazzling. It is also possible to dive and swim among numerous blacktip reef sharks and many rays.
At the end of a beautiful day, we reached the beach by dinghy to fly the drone and capture aerial footage of the island.
Overall, the impression we got of Bora Bora was extremely positive, thanks to the island’s unique and striking layout and the abundance of natural beauty that lives up to its reputation. On the other hand, the fragility of its coral reefs makes it highly vulnerable to excessive tourism. This concern, however, applies to all of French Polynesia, which, in addition to over-tourism, is also facing the consequences of climate change.
On June 8th, we set off again, heading towards Maupiti, our last destination in the Society Islands.