Bora Bora, French Polynesia: The perfect honeymoon

Located 230 kilometers northwest of Tahiti, Bora Bora is an island entirely surrounded by a lagoon (inland lagoon) and surrounded by a coral reef that protects it from the onslaught of the ocean. Around the central island there are a series of sandy islets or motus, of capricious forms, that delimit inner bays of sleeping waters.

This dreamlike landscape is obsessively dominated by Mount Otemanu (725 meters), a powerful basaltic mole, with peaks formed in sawtooth, which is one of the island’s icons. Beside it, much more discreet, Mount Pahia (660 meters) closes practically the succinct chapter of island orography.

Bora Bora can be reached by boat, coming from one of the nearby islands, but the fastest is obviously the plane. The airport is located on the motu Mote, the northernmost islet of the island. The flights usually come from the Tahiti-Faa’a international airport, in the northwest of the neighboring island, about 7 kilometers from the capital, Papeete.

The service between Tahiti and Bora Bora is covered in about fifty minutes by the local airline Air Tahiti (www.airtahitinui.com.es), which also schedules a few international flights. Some hotels send their own boat to pick up their guests; in other cases you have to take the ferry that goes to Vaitape, the island capital.

Circunvalación of the island

Bora Bora is a flat island. It has a single road that carefully follows the coastline. 32 kilometers are enough to make a complete turn. Circling the island following this route, whether by car, motorcycle or bicycle, takes just one day and that stopping at every stretch to enjoy the landscape and admire the attractions that arise on the fly.

This tour can begin in the small port of Vaitape, which seems to concentrate on its docks all the population of the town, without detracting from its main street, with bustling establishments and lively shops, and the modern La Pahia shopping center.

The great commercial seduction of these islands are their famous black pearls, which seem to shine with malice, in addition to tropical clothes of bright colors and floral motifs, crafts with vegetable fibers (hats, mats and baskets of pandano) and wood carvings , although in this particular it is necessary to make sure of the local origin of the works.

To the south, the winding coastal road leads to Punta Matira, the southern tip of the island, from where Raiatea and Taha’a, the neighboring islands, are glimpsed. It is an area of ​​tourist complexes, but with the most beautiful white beaches of fine sand of the island. Then, going up the eastern coast, Mount Otemanu gives exquisite views, while the northern area is lonely and very quiet.

Discover the magic of the «lagoon»

Once the island is known from the mainland, we need to discover it from the inner lagoon. The lagoon is the main attraction of Bora Bora. It is a beautiful place. It offers many opportunities for water sports or simply contemplative. Looking a little, it is possible to distinguish more than thirty shades of blue in its transparent waters. Another heavenly place just like The Cies Islands in Galicia

The lagoon can be explored by small ferries, speedboat or jet ski, or by canoe or kayak. In any case you should not miss the moments dedicated to swimming and diving, the fascination with nature and the landfall for the picnic of food in one of the small motus.
If you wish, in the morning you can attend the spectacle of watching reef sharks have breakfast (an activity that is very popular, although disapproved by conservationists).

Playful activities

Much more placid could be fishing, sailing, or doing an aquasafarian (walking on the lake with a light scuba). And if the body asks for action, diving by the coral reef, kaysurfing (surfing with a small paraglider) or parasail (parachute flight towed by a boat) can be considered.

With the arrival of the sunset, and already surrendered by so many emotions, let your retina enjoy a terrifying sunset, in which the star king explodes in thousands of ocher and gold of fire before diving into the lagoon.

¿How to get to Bora Bora?

If you want to know this country for yourself and that it is part of your own history, the first thing you have to know is that you will go through Tahiti first, regardless of your place of origin.
From there you take a plane at the airport of Motu Mate, about 30 minutes from the Vaitape region, a town that together with the Faanui and Anau regions should be a must when we are in Bora Bora.