Moorea Opunohu Bay

About This Anchorage

Opunohu Bay is Moorea's second great bay — separated from Cook's Bay by the dramatic volcanic spine of Mount Rotui. While Cook's Bay has become the tourist centre of Moorea, Opunohu remains largely pristine and undeveloped, its shores covered in dense tropical vegetation, vanilla plantations, and the ancient marae (stone temples) of the Polynesians. The Paul Gauguin Agricultural College occupies the head of the bay. The anchorage is quieter and deeper than Cook's Bay, with cleaner sand in the inner sections. Robinson's Cove on the south shore offers the best anchoring ground. The silence at night is extraordinary — no restaurants, no ferry traffic, just the sound of the reef breaking outside. The Belvedere viewpoint above the bay provides one of the most dramatic vistas in the Pacific.

Hazards

• !Very deep water throughout most of the bay — 10–25m requires significant scope; calculate anchor rode carefully
• !Coral bommies near the bay entrance and shallower areas — use chart and look-out when entering
• !No facilities ashore — fully self-sufficient; carry all provisions from Cook's Bay or Papeete
• !Strong squalls funnelling off the mountains — Moorea is famous for sudden localised wind gusts at night

Skipper's Tips

• →Robinson's Cove on the south shore of the bay is the most comfortable anchorage — shallower (10–15m) and better protected
• →Hire a bicycle or scooter at Cook's Bay and ride the mountain road to the Belvedere — the view over both bays is unmissable
• →The ancient marae (stone temples) in the jungle behind the bay are accessible on foot — ask at the agricultural college for directions
• →Opunohu is the quieter, more contemplative alternative to busy Cook's Bay — excellent for crew resting before the Tuamotu passage

Nearby Anchorages