Bora Bora Cruise Port
Bora Bora, French Polynesia · Pacific
Cruise ships anchor offshore in Bora Bora — tenders ferry passengers to the port.
Tender call into Vaitape on Bora Bora; lagoon snorkel tours, Matira Beach and the Mont Otemanu silhouette do the heavy lifting.
At a glance
Port summary
Bora Bora is one of the South Pacific's most iconic cruise calls but also one of the most logistically constrained. Ships anchor in the deep lagoon off Pofai Bay and tender passengers to a small wharf in Vaitape next to the Mairie. The town itself is tiny — a 30-minute walk covers the church, the town hall, the Magasin Chin Lee supermarket, the bank with the only ATM cluster on the island, and the row of pearl shops, car rental desks and tour kiosks. Almost everyone leaves Vaitape on a pre-booked or ship-organised lagoon tour: the Coral Garden snorkel, shark and ray feeding off Anau, the Lagoonarium and motu picnics are the standard menu. Independent options exist — Le Truck (the cruise-day shuttle bus) runs to Matira Beach for 300 XPF, taxis charge a flat 1500 XPF Vaitape-Matira (no meters, agree fare), Avis and Europcar rent cars and bicycles directly across from the pier — but the around-island ring road is only 32 km and the lagoon is what people remember. Bicycles ($15/day) are a popular DIY choice, especially in cooler season. Currency is the CFP franc (XPF); USD is widely accepted at tourist-facing businesses but at a poor rate, and ATMs in Vaitape are notorious for running out of cash, so bring XPF (or USD as backup) ashore. Cards are accepted at most resorts, restaurants and dive shops but not at small market stalls or with some independent guides.
Cruise dock
🚢 Vaitape Quay — Tender Landing
Bora Bora's single tender landing in front of the Mairie de Bora Bora at the head of Vaitape village. Cruise ships anchor 1-2 km offshore in the deep lagoon off Pofai Bay; tenders make the 15-20 minute run into the wharf. Pier facilities are minimal — a covered ramp and a small Tahiti Tourisme desk on cruise days.
📍 Latitude: -16.506969, Longitude: -151.751716
See dock on port map →Getting to Bora Bora
From the cruise terminal to the city centre
Pre-booked lagoon tours (Coral Garden, sharks-and-rays at Anau, Lagoonarium) are the headline cruise-day mode; book through Tahiti Tourisme or major operators weeks ahead.
📍 Lagoon-tour and 4WD-safari operators meet tenders at the Vaitape pier
Vaitape town centre, the church, the supermarket and the bank are all within a flat 5-minute walk from the tender pier.
📍 At the top of Vaitape Quay
Le Truck (the local open-sided bus) runs Vaitape to the Matira hotel district on cruise days only; cash only, no fixed schedule.
📍 "Le Truck" pickup at the Vaitape pier
Taxis are not metered and charge a flat XPF 1500 from Vaitape to Matira; cash only, agree fare before boarding.
📍 Taxi rank at the Vaitape pier
Manual cars only — automatics very rare; the around-island ring road is 32 km, so a car gets you everywhere in under an hour.
📍 Avis and Europcar desks across the road from the Vaitape pier
Bicycle rental is the most popular DIY mode — traditional bike around XPF 1500/day, electric bike around XPF 2500/day; the flat ring road is bike-friendly.
📍 Avis and Europcar desks across from the pier
Map & things to do
Money & payments
Bring CFP francs from Tahiti or your previous Polynesian port; USD is accepted at a poor rate; ATMs in Vaitape are unreliable on cruise days.
Things to do
Marae Fare Opu
Short stop⭐ Highlight
Smaller seaside marae behind Faanui Bay — basalt platform stones carved with turtle petroglyphs.
🕐 Mid-morning side-light on the petroglyphs
Marae Marotetini
Short stop⭐ Highlight
Bora Bora's largest restored marae — long stone platform on Faanui Bay for chiefly investiture.
🕐 Mid-morning before the heat
Vaitape Village Walk
Short stop🚶 Walk
30-minute loop around the Vaitape pier covering church town hall pearl shops and supermarket.
🕐 Right after stepping off the tender
Matira Beach
🏖️ Beach
Bora Bora's only major public beach — long flat white-sand bay with calm shallow water.
🕐 Mid-morning before the lagoon-tour boats anchor offshore
Lagoonarium Bora Bora
🎯 Activity
Family-run motu lagoonarium with guided in-water encounters with reef sharks rays and turtles.
🕐 Cruise-day mid-morning slot
Coral Garden Snorkel
🎯 Activity
Sheltered coral-bommie field on the south reef with clouds of butterflyfish in 1-3 m of water.
🕐 Morning when the lagoon water is calmest
Sharks & Rays at Anau
🎯 Activity
Stingrays and blacktip reef sharks circle the boats off Anau — Bora Bora's headline cruise activity.
🕐 Morning when the boats arrive on schedule
Église Saint-Pierre-Célestin
Short stop⛪ Church / Cathedral
Vaitape's coral-stone Catholic church next to the pier with carved Polynesian-Christian interior.
🕐 Mid-morning between services
Motu Tane View
Short stop📸 Viewpoint
Private coconut-palm motu off the northeast lagoon — the photo backdrop for most lagoon tours.
🕐 Cruise-day morning when the lagoon water is glassy
Mont Otemanu Viewpoint
Short stop📸 Viewpoint
The 727 m basalt fang at the heart of Bora Bora — best seen from the lagoon or south-coast road.
🕐 Late morning when the sun lights the east face
Matira Point
Short stop📸 Viewpoint
Bora Bora's southern tip — short walk past the public beach to a sandy spit facing Otemanu.
🕐 Late afternoon for the best Otemanu light
Mont Pahia Hike
sport
Steep 4-hour out-and-back guided hike from Vaitape — the closest walkable lookout to Mont Otemanu.
🕐 First tender ashore, finished by midday for return buffer
Build your perfect day in Bora Bora
Tell us how long you have, who you're with, and what you enjoy — our AI will create a personalised itinerary just for you.
Plan my day →Frequently asked questions
- Where does my cruise ship dock in Bora Bora?
- Bora Bora is a tender port: your ship anchors offshore and passengers transfer to shore by small boat.
- Can I walk from the cruise port into Bora Bora?
- Yes. Bora Bora is walkable from the cruise port — many cruisers reach the city centre on foot.
- How do I get from the cruise port to Bora Bora centre?
- Typical options include Shuttle bus, On foot, Local bus, Taxi, Car rental, Other transport. Durations and costs are listed in the transport section above.
- How much time do I need in Bora Bora?
- Plan for at least 4 hours ashore to see Bora Bora independently and return to the ship with a safe buffer.
- What currency is used in Bora Bora and are cards accepted?
- Bora Bora uses the CFP Franc. Carry some cash for markets, taxis, and smaller vendors — cards aren't accepted everywhere.
- Is there Wi-Fi at the cruise port?
- Wi-Fi isn't reliably available at the Bora Bora cruise terminal. Consider a local SIM or your cruise line's data package.
- When should I be back at the ship?
- Cruise lines usually require all passengers on board about 30 minutes before scheduled departure. Confirm the exact all-aboard time on your daily programme.
Have something to share about Bora Bora Cruise Port?
Share a photo, suggest a thing to do, drop a map link, or tell us what you did in port.
Add a contributionAdmin reviews every contribution before it goes live.