Raiatea & Bora Bora

Society Islands

This Raiatea & Bora Bora Sailing route keeps passages short and days unhurried. Drift-snorkel famous coral gardens, visit vanilla and pearl farms, and spend two nights in Bora Bora’s lagoon between Motu Mute and Motu Piti Aau. Evenings finish with quiet anchorages, soft drums ashore, and easy dinghy rides to dinner.

7 days

86 nautical miles

Apooiti Marina → Apu Bay → Motu Mahaea → Tapuamu → Motu Mute → Motu Piti Aau → Tiva → Apooiti Marina

Highlights

A relaxed Raiatea & Bora Bora Sailing circuit linking vanilla-scented Taha’a bays, coral gardens, and Bora Bora’s luminous motus.

Overview

Raiatea, Taha’a and Bora Bora share one broad reef system, but each island has its own character. Raiatea is the “sacred island”, home to the Taputapuatea marae and the charter base at Apooiti, where you’ll step aboard among palm-backed pontoons and easy provisioning. Slip north into Taha’a and life slows again. The hills are laced with vanilla plantations, bays curve into deep green folds, and the reef-side motus give you classic white-sand-and-turquoise anchorages without long open-ocean slogs. Coral gardens between Raiatea and Taha’a make snorkelling as memorable as the sailing itself. Further west, Bora Bora really does live up to the postcards. You’ll arrive past Motu Mute, then work towards the quieter side at Motu Piti Aau, where the view of Mount Otemanu across the lagoon feels almost unreal. On one windy afternoon here, a friend misjudged the current on a drift snorkel and ended up clinging to a mooring buoy, laughing too hard to be worried. It’s that kind of trip: safe, supervised by reefs and passes, but full of small stories you’ll tell for years.

Special Gems

A few extra touches can lift this Raiatea & Bora Bora Sailing voyage from “lovely” to “unforgettable”. If your timing lines up, the Tahiti Pearl Regatta often runs legs through these very islands, bringing colourful sails and evening events ashore; even if you don’t race, it’s fun to be in the area and watch the fleet.

Wildlife-wise, keep an eye out from July to October for humpback whales passing through wider French Polynesia; dedicated trips run from several islands, and it’s worth checking with local operators whether any tours are active around your dates.

On Raiatea, adding a guided paddle up the Faaroa River is a peaceful counterpoint to lagoon sailing, gliding under overhanging trees and past small gardens along the banks.
If you have a spare day pre- or post-charter in Tahiti itself, the Papeete market and nearby waterfront are easy additions and pair naturally with this itinerary’s start from Apooiti. And for those who like a bit of cultural immersion, look out for dance evenings or local festivals on Raiatea or Bora Bora—drums, fire, and a warm welcome for visitors are all part of the package.

Passage Conditions & Navigation Profile

In dry season prevailing trade winds blow easterly to southeasterly, tides typically under 1m.

Description

Apooiti Marina feels like a friendly little crossroads of Raiatea. Charter boats line the pontoons, sails furled, palm trees standing quietly behind them. As you cast off and turn north, Raiatea’s low, folded hills lean over a lagoon the colour of polished glass. The shared reef with Taha’a lies ahead, but you stay comfortably inside, following well-marked channels. Crossing towards Apu Bay, Taha’a rises on the horizon, greener and more rounded than Raiatea, with houses sprinkled along the shoreline. The air smells faintly of vanilla and woodsmoke. Apu Bay itself is a wide bite in the coast, backed by steep hills and small plantations. Yachts usually sit well spaced at anchor or on mooring buoys, with plenty of swing room. In the evening, you’ll often hear roosters, distant dogs, and the occasional outboard puttering home, more village than resort in feel.

Attractions

From Apu Bay you’re perfectly placed to sample Taha’a’s “Vanilla Island” charm. Several vanilla farms on the island welcome visitors; tours usually explain pollination, curing, and grading, and finish with tastings or a small boutique. Champon pearl farm near Apu Bay offers visits by boat transfer, where you can see oyster lines in the lagoon and watch how pearls are grafted and harvested. On the water, you can take the dinghy along the inside of the reef for a gentle snorkel on nearby coral heads, or simply paddle a SUP at sunset with views back towards Raiatea. Uturoa town is a longer hop away but possible as a half-day outing for a market visit and fresh produce.

Cautions

Watch coral heads & depth changes inside lagoon; enter in good light only

Facilities

Limited shoreside services; no fuel dock, basic village groceries & informal snacks only.

Day 2 – Apu Bay → Motu Mahaea (Taha’a)

7 nautical miles

1hr 30mins sailing time

LUNCH STOP:none planned

MOORING:Sand anchorage off Motu Mahaea, no fixed marina; check locally for any private mooring charges.

Description

Leaving Apu Bay, you follow the lagoon fringe north-west, with the ocean swell safely barred by the outer reef. The water shifts from deep blue to pale turquoise as you near Motu Mahaea, a low strip of sand and palms that feels like it was drawn by a child dreaming of “tropical island”. Anchored off Motu Mahaea, your boat will likely sit in 4–8 m over sand with scattered coral patches. The motu’s beach curves in a soft arc, often with just a few excursion boats or small groups from nearby cruises. The view back to Taha’a’s main island is all green ridges and cloud shadows. Here the lagoon colours really show off—bands of jade, turquoise and cobalt streak away across the reef flat. At low tide, sand spits may appear, giving you a place to wade and wander. It’s the sort of anchorage where time gets pleasantly fuzzy; one swim leads to another, then someone suggests “just a quick snorkel”, and the afternoon quietly disappears.

Attractions

Motu Mahaea is often used as a base for lagoon excursions. Many tours combine beach time with guided snorkelling, showing you bommies alive with butterflyfish, parrotfish and giant clams. From here you’re also close to the famous coral garden / coral river between Motu Tautau and its neighbour motu, reachable with local operators or, in settled conditions, by dinghy. On shore, this motu is mostly about simple pleasures: walking the strand, collecting shells, or sitting under a palm with Bora Bora shimmering faintly on the horizon. Some organised excursions include a picnic on the motu, with grilled fish and poisson cru served at shared tables. When cruise ships visit, there may be temporary facilities or bar areas set up for their guests; at quieter times you’ll share the motu with just a handful of visitors.

Cautions

Reef and coral heads close by; keep good light and spotter on bow when approaching.

Facilities

No regular fuel, power or shops; occasional excursion huts and basic beach facilities only.

Day 3 – Motu Mahaea → Tapuamu (Taha’a)

12 nautical miles

2hrs 30mins sailing time

LUNCH STOP:none planned

MOORING:Anchoring in 15–25 m plus a few mooring buoys; confirm availability and any current mooring tariffs.

Description

The run from Motu Mahaea to Tapuamu takes you along the northern arc of Taha’a inside the lagoon, with the main island to port and string of motus to starboard. The scenery changes from open reef views to more enclosed bay as you close in on Tapuamu’s deep indentation. Tapuamu Bay feels like a natural amphitheatre. Steep slopes drop down to the water, and the village gathers around a small quay. Yachts usually lie at anchor or on moorings in 15–25 m, well protected from most directions. The water is darker here than over the reef flats, but still gleams clear enough to see your chain stretching away. Ashore, there’s a relaxed, everyday rhythm: kids on the quay, small boats coming and going, and locals heading along the coastal road. In the right light you’ll see Bora Bora’s jagged silhouette through the pass, a hint of tomorrow’s leg. One afternoon here I watched a local fisherman clean his catch on the quay; before long we were comparing favourite ways to cook parrotfish, mostly via hand gestures and smiles.

Attractions

From Tapuamu you’re within easy reach of several classic Taha’a experiences. Local guides can take you to nearby vanilla estates and small family-run farms, giving a more intimate look at cultivation than larger operations. Boat tours from Tapuamu also run to the well-known coral garden and other snorkel spots along the reef. Drift-snorkel trips typically include guidance on currents and safe entry/exit points, making them suitable even if you’re not a strong swimmer. In the village itself you’ll find a small quay, local church, and simple stores. Some guesthouses and small restaurants in the wider area offer pick-up by boat or car for dinners or island tours, often including scenic viewpoints over Taha’a and Raiatea.

Cautions

Deep anchorage; allow ample scope. Mind gusts funnelling into bay and maintain distance from quay.

Facilities

Small village with limited groceries and a restaurant; no fuel dock, basic services at quay.

Day 4 – Tapuamu (Taha’a) → Motu Mute (Bora Bora)

22 nautical miles

4hrs 30mins sailing time

LUNCH STOP:none planned

MOORING:Mooring buoys and anchoring areas near airport motu; confirm current buoy fees with local operators or charter base.

Description

This is your main inter-island stretch, leaving Taha’a’s shelter and feeling the open sea for a few hours. You exit the shared Raiatea–Taha’a reef through a marked pass, then lay a course towards Bora Bora rising ahead. On a clear day, Mount Otemanu appears surprisingly soon, a dark peak above the horizon that slowly grows and sharpens. Swell is usually moderate, and with trades on the beam or aft of the beam it’s often an easy, memorable sail. Re-entering through Bora Bora’s pass, the water turns that electric turquoise everyone talks about, and you’ll work your way towards Motu Mute, home of the airport. Anchorage and moorings near Motu Mute feel busy but organised: boats staging for flights, transfers buzzing by, and shuttles to and from the main island. It’s a practical but still beautiful place to overnight, with wide views over the lagoon and the promise of quieter motus tomorrow.

Attractions

Motu Mute itself is mostly about the airport and transfer activity, but it’s a handy base for lagoon tours. Many operators will collect you by boat from nearby moorings, offering full-day trips to snorkel with rays and reef sharks, visit sandbars, and stop for lunch on a private motu. If your timing lines up with flight days, simply watching the small planes land and take off over the reef is oddly compelling. You can also arrange water taxis across to the main Bora Bora island for a stroll around Vaitape, picking up fresh baguettes, fruit and any extra bits you’d like for the galley. One skipper I know planned to “pop ashore quickly” for bread and came back with armfuls of pastries and no regrets. Bora Bora has that effect.

Cautions

Busy zone with ferries and shuttles; keep clear of airport approach lanes and marked exclusion areas.

Facilities

No marina; fuel and larger groceries across lagoon in Vaitape, reachable by shuttle or water taxi.

Day 5 – Motu Mute → Motu Piti Aau (Bora Bora)

6 nautical miles

1hr 30mins sailing time

LUNCH STOP:none planned

MOORING:Mixture of resort and public moorings plus sand anchorages; confirm permission and any charges with operators.

Description

Today is all about slipping deeper into Bora Bora’s lagoon. You’ll curve around inside the reef, leaving the airport bustle behind, and make your way along the eastern arc towards Motu Piti Aau. The motu is long and slender, with sand spits, coconut groves and rows of overwater bungalows projecting into the lagoon. Anchoring or picking up a mooring near the quieter sections, you’ll sit in pale blue water with Mount Otemanu framed perfectly across the lagoon. The mood here is gentler than near Vaitape—more resort guests paddling quietly, fewer service boats racing past. At night, the stilted bungalows glow softly and the stars fill in the gaps overhead. The water is calm enough that even nervous swimmers feel comfortable off the stern. One evening, after a hot day, we ended up playing “who can float the longest without moving”. The winner lasted so long the dinner rice nearly burned. That’s the pace of life on this side of Bora Bora.

Attractions

Motu Piti Aau gives you the classic Bora Bora lagoon playground. Many resorts and independent operators here run snorkel trips to nearby coral gardens, ray and shark feeding sites, and shallow sandbars where you can stand knee-deep in warm water miles from shore. On the motu itself you’ll find sandy beaches, small piers, and often access to resort bars or restaurants by dinghy if you arrange ahead. For a quieter day, simply paddle along the shore by kayak or SUP, watching for eagle rays and small blacktip reef sharks cruising in the shallows. Sunset is a highlight: the sun drops behind the main island, painting the lagoon in pink and gold while the mountain turns into a dark silhouette. For many people, this is the image they’ll always connect with Raiatea & Bora Bora Sailing.

Cautions

Stay clear of swim zones and private jetties; watch for shallow coral shelves close to the motu.

Facilities

Resort areas offer restaurants and bars; groceries and fuel still require trip to Vaitape on main island.

Day 6 – Motu Piti Aau (Bora Bora) → Tiva (Taha’a)

28 nautical miles

5hrs sailing time

LUNCH STOP:none planned

MOORING:Mainly anchoring off Tiva village in lagoon depths; no formal marina, confirm any private buoy arrangements

Description

The longest sailing stretch of the trip takes you back from Bora Bora’s lagoon to the more rural feel of Taha’a’s west coast. After retracing your path through the pass, Bora Bora slowly shrinks astern, that familiar peak fading into a hazy outline. The trades usually give you a comfortable reach or broad reach back towards the shared Raiatea–Taha’a reef. Re-entering near Raiatea and curving around towards Tiva, the scenery shifts again. Gone are the big resorts and overwater bungalows; in their place are small villages, churches, and hillsides dotted with homes and coconut groves. Off Tiva, you anchor in the lee of the island with open views across the lagoon and, on clear evenings, back to Bora Bora. It’s a lovely contrast day: you start among five-star hideaways and finish somewhere that feels more like a lived-in island community. After a few days of soft resort lighting, the darker, starrier sky over Taha’a feels refreshing.

Attractions

Tiva is close to several interesting spots on Taha’a’s west and southwest coasts. The area features small guesthouses and lodges where you can arrange home-style dinners, cultural evenings, or island tours. Places like Tiva Here or Tiva Perl Lodge give a low-key, local-flavoured alternative to big hotel nights. Water-based options include snorkelling on coral heads near the passes and exploring by dinghy along the coast. Some operators also run tours from this side of Taha’a towards the coral garden areas, depending on conditions and demand. The history buff in your crew might also enjoy reading about the 19th-century shipwreck near Tiva that left a “Spanish clan” of descendants in the area, adding another layer to the island’s story.

Cautions

Mind fringing reef and passes near Tiva; use daylight and avoid cutting corners over charted shallows.

Facilities

Small village shops, local restaurants and guesthouses; no fuel dock, limited supplies, seek larger provisioning in Uturoa.

Day 7 – Tiva (Taha’a) → Apooiti Marina (Raiatea)

7 nautical miles

1hr 30min sailing time

LUNCH STOP:none planned

MOORING:Berths and moorings at Apooiti Marina; contact harbour office or charter base for current nightly rates.

Description

Your final leg is a relaxed hop back across the shared lagoon to Raiatea and Apooiti. Leaving Tiva, you follow the inside of the reef with Taha’a’s slopes gradually falling astern and Raiatea’s outline growing to starboard. The sea state is usually flat inside the reef, so it’s an easy chance to tidy lines, dry towels and half-pack bags between tacks. As you re-enter Apooiti Bay, the marina’s masts reappear, clustered against the hills. The atmosphere feels familiar now: charter staff in dinghies, crews rinsing decks, and the clink of halyards against aluminium masts. It’s also a good place to pause and look back across the water to Taha’a, knowing you’ve traced a full circle through these islands. I always find the last approach oddly satisfying—sails trimmed just so, boat moving cleanly, everyone a little saltier and a bit more confident than when they left. That’s Raiatea & Bora Bora Sailing at its best.

Attractions

With the boat safely back in Apooiti, you still have options if time allows. A taxi or tour will take you to the Taputapuatea marae on Raiatea’s east coast, where you can walk among stone platforms and learn about its role as a centre of Polynesian navigation and culture. Closer to the marina, Uturoa offers a waterfront market, small supermarkets, bakeries and cafés. It’s a good place to pick up last souvenirs, enjoy a final poisson cru, or simply sit with a coffee watching inter-island ferries come and go. Kayak or river excursions up the Faaroa River can often be arranged from Raiatea, giving a fresh-water twist to your trip with mangrove-lined banks and quiet backwaters.

Cautions

Narrow marina entrance and traffic from charter fleets; follow marked leads and keep speed low.

Facilities

Water, power, showers, Wi-Fi, restaurant, nearby fuel and provisioning in Uturoa a short taxi ride away

Facilities Summary

Stop	Water	Fuel	Power	Groceries	Restaurants	Medical/Pharmacy
Apooiti Marina (Raiatea)	✅	⚪ (nearby in Uturoa)	✅	Medium (Uturoa town nearby)	Marina restaurant, several in Uturoa	Clinic, pharmacy in Uturoa
Apu Bay (Taha’a)	Limited	⚪	⚪	Very small	Few local options/guesthouse dining	Minimal – confirm in advance
Motu Mahaea (Taha’a)	⚪	⚪	⚪	⚪	Occasional excursion catering only	⚪
Tapuamu (Taha’a)	Limited (ashore)	⚪	Limited at quay	Small	One–two local spots nearby	Basic services on Taha’a, confirm locally
Motu Mute (Bora Bora)	⚪	⚪ (via Vaitape)	⚪	Via Vaitape	Snacks in transit areas	Full services on main island
Motu Piti Aau (Bora Bora)	Via resorts	⚪	Via resorts	⚪	Resort bars/restaurants	Main island clinics/pharmacies
Tiva (Taha’a)	Limited (guesthouses)	⚪	Limited	Small	Guesthouse and village eateries	Basic services on Taha’a main settlements

Consider the Reverse Route

Running this Raiatea & Bora Bora Sailing trip Apooiti → Taha’a → Bora Bora → Taha’a → Apooiti works well with the usual southeast trade-wind pattern. You ease into things with short lagoon legs around Taha’a before tackling the longer inter-island run to Bora Bora, then finish with another open-water leg back towards Taha’a’s west coast. In the May–October dry season, trades often make those crossings pleasant reaches or broad reaches. If you reversed the order—starting with Bora Bora first—you’d punch into your longest passage on day one. That can be fine for experienced crews, but it gives beginners less time to settle into the boat and local conditions. Coming back from Bora Bora to Taha’a in a reversed route might mean sailing more upwind if the trades bend, making that leg livelier and slower. Another advantage of the current direction is flexibility with weather. You can pause a day around Apu Bay or Motu Mahaea if a stronger Maraamu event is forecast, then time your Bora Bora legs for more comfortable windows. Overall, the described direction makes better use of typical wind patterns and gives a smoother learning curve for mixed-experience crews.

Support Aids

Whether chartering or welcoming friends onboard your own yacht, these FREE KiwiSailor aids will come in handy and help ease your preparations ….meaning the first drink on this journey is so much more enjoyable:

Considerations

There are so many variables to consider when planning an itinerary and estimating sailing times and distances, so one needs to appreciate that these are an estimate only.

Planned Stopping Locations

As they say, you always plan to ‘sail toward’ and not ‘sail to’, as something unplanned could happen. So one should also consider a ‘bolt-hole’ (a sheltered location where a you can find refuge from bad weather for example). I have not planned for these as there are naturally many variables and options to allow for. So look ahead in the plan and always keep an eye on the weather.

Sailing Distance

I use a planning method that adds a safety margin and thus produces a distance, which tends to be 10–20% longer than charted straight-line or optimised-tool calculations. Assuming:

clearing headlands
tacking angles in light wind
staying outside rocky headlands/fringes
not hugging the coastline

Sailing Time

Sailing time is obviously a function of distance and speed, and again speed can vary considerably. My approach here assumes:

round to the nearest 30 mins
relatively clean hull
a cruising speed of 6 knots, which provides small allowances for:
- leaving and entering harbours (but ignore berthing or for example anchoring drop/retrieval time)
- trimming sails
- occasional lulls
- motor sailing if wind is too light to maintain 6 knots

Ultimately my approach is to allow for “steady” sailing as you would normally on vacation, rather than sporty Saturday racing at the local club.

Raiatea & Bora Bora

Highlights

Overview

Special Gems

Passage Conditions & Navigation Profile

Description

Attractions

Cautions

Facilities

Description

Attractions

Cautions

Facilities

Description

Attractions

Cautions

Facilities

Description

Attractions

Cautions

Facilities

Description

Attractions

Cautions

Facilities

Description

Attractions

Cautions

Facilities

Description

Attractions

Cautions

Facilities

Facilities Summary

Consider the Reverse Route

Support Aids

Considerations

Planned Stopping Locations

Sailing Distance

Sailing Time

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