Moorea Cruise Port
Moorea, French Polynesia · Pacific
Cruise ships anchor offshore in Moorea — tenders ferry passengers to the port.
Tender call into Opunohu or Cook's Bay; the lagoon, the Belvédère lookout and a 60 km ring road are the headline acts.
At a glance
Port summary
Moorea is a 17 km hop from Tahiti and one of the South Pacific's most photographed islands — the silhouette of Mount Tohi'e'a rising behind two deep bays is unmistakable from the deck. Most cruise ships anchor inside either Opunohu Bay (the larger, calmer western bay, where a dedicated tender wharf sits next to the Hilton Moorea) or Cook's Bay (the eastern bay, with tenders running into the Pao Pao village wharf). A few smaller ships dock alongside at the Vaiare ferry wharf, 5 km south on the east coast. None of these landings drops you into a real town: the tender wharf is the start of a transport day, not a walk-off. The typical pattern is a pre-booked lagoon tour (snorkel at Tiahura's Coral Garden, the famous shark-and-stingray feed, motu picnics) or a 4×4 / rental-car circuit of the 60 km flat ring road past the Belvédère viewpoint, the Marae Titiroa archaeological site, Magic Mountain, Tiki Village in Hauru and Temae Beach. Currency is the CFP franc (XPF); USD is widely accepted at a poor rate, ATMs in Maharepa and Pao Pao are reliable on cruise days, cards work at most resorts and supermarkets, and small market stalls remain cash-only. There is no Uber or Bolt anywhere in French Polynesia.
Cruise docks
Opunohu Bay — Cruise Berth for Tender
OSM-confirmed dedicated tender berth on the south shore of Opunohu Bay next to the Hilton Moorea, used by most cruise ships calling Moorea. Ships anchor 500-1000 m offshore in the deep bay; tenders make the 10-15 min run into a flat concrete wharf with a Tahiti Tourisme welcome desk and a small craft market on call days. The ring road is 200 m up the access track.
Latitude: -17.491713, Longitude: -149.871325
See dock on port map →Cook's Bay — Pao Pao Wharf
OSM-confirmed Débarcadère de Pao Pao at the head of Cook's Bay (eastern bay), used as the alternate cruise tender landing on calmer days or when Opunohu Bay is occupied. Ships anchor in the bay's deep centre; tenders run into the village wharf in the heart of Pao Pao with the church, distillery and public market all within a 5-min walk.
Latitude: -17.48905, Longitude: -149.818392
See dock on port map →Vaiare Ferry Wharf — Alongside Berth
OSM-confirmed Aremiti ferry wharf on the east coast (5 km south of Maharepa) with a single alongside cruise berth used only by smaller expedition ships. Most cruise lines avoid Vaiare because Cook's Bay and Opunohu Bay are scenic; Vaiare is industrial and mostly serves the Tahiti-Moorea passenger ferry.
Latitude: -17.520165, Longitude: -149.778003
See dock on port map →Getting to Moorea
From the cruise terminal to the city centre
Map & things to do
Money & payments
Bring CFP francs from Tahiti or your previous Polynesian port; USD is accepted at a poor rate; cards work at most cruise-day businesses but small stalls are cash-only.
Build your perfect day in Moorea
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Inside the French Polynesia collection
Here's a peek at everything waiting for your Moorea cruise day.
Typical weather
Emergency & contacts
Excursions compared
4 comparedMoorea 4x4 island safari to Belvedere and Magic Mountain
≈ 4 h · sold by 5 cruise lines
Cruise line
€100$112
Do it yourself
€65$73
Save ≈ €35Save ≈ $39 (35% off)
Moorea is a tender port — ships anchor in Opunohu Bay and tender to the Papetoai dock, where there is almost nothing within walking distance. The cleanest DIY is a self-drive rental: Avis and Albert's both meet the ferry/cruise dock and a small car runs ~€75/day. From the dock it's a 10-min drive west to the Opunohu valley turn-off, then the paved valley road climbs to the Belvedere in ~20 min. Fuel a few euro; Belvedere and the marae are free; pineapple-juice tasting at a roadside stand ~€5.
See the DIY plan →
Moorea lagoon snorkel safari with stingrays and blacktip sharks
≈ 4 h · sold by 5 cruise lines
Cruise line
€150$167
Do it yourself
€74$83
Save ≈ €76Save ≈ $85 (51% off)
Local operators run the identical sandbar trip for roughly half the cruise-line price and pick up free at the ferry/cruise dock. Moorea Miti Tours' 3-hour lagoon snorkel is €73.74pp aboard a covered outrigger, with masks, fins and fruit included. From the Papetoai tender dock it's a ~20-min transfer to their Cook's Bay base; everything else (rays, sharks, coral, snacks) is bundled.
See the DIY plan →
Ready-made port days
8 plansSharks, Stingrays & the Coral Garden: Moorea's Signature Lagoon Tour
The one thing you cannot leave Moorea without doing: stand chest-deep on a sandbar while stingrays glide past your legs and blacktip reef sharks circle, then drift-snorkel a shallow coral garden — all in the warm, impossibly blue lagoon, booked direct for a fraction of the ship's price.
Circle the Island: Moorea's Ring Road by Rental Car
One flat, paved 60-km loop rings the whole island — pick up a car at the wharf and you can climb to the twin-bay Belvédère, stand in a 16th-century marae, taste pineapple wine, and swim at a public white-sand beach, all at your own pace and for a fraction of the coach-tour price.
The Belvédère, a Marae & the Opunohu Valley
No car, no problem: a half-day taxi run up Moorea's green heart takes you to the island's most famous viewpoint over the twin bays, a 16th-century Polynesian temple in the forest, and a working pineapple-and-vanilla juice farm — the scenic and cultural highlights in one easy loop.
4×4 Safari: Magic Mountain & the Pineapple Roads
Climb the tracks a rental car can't reach: an open-top 4×4 grinds up to the Magic Mountain ridge for a top-deck panorama over the whole lagoon, then bumps through pineapple plantations, the marae forest and the Belvédère — Moorea's back country with a guide who knows it.
Frequently asked questions
- Where does my cruise ship dock in Moorea?
- Moorea is a tender port: your ship anchors offshore and passengers transfer to shore by small boat.
- Can I walk from the cruise port into Moorea?
- Walking into Moorea from the cruise port isn't practical. Plan to use a shuttle, taxi, or public transport.
- How do I get from the cruise port to Moorea centre?
- Typical options include Shuttle bus, Car rental, Taxi, Local bus, On foot, Other transport. Durations and costs are listed in the transport section above.
- How much time do I need in Moorea?
- Plan for at least 5 hours ashore to see Moorea independently and return to the ship with a safe buffer.
- What currency is used in Moorea and are cards accepted?
- Moorea 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 Moorea 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.
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