Destinations Australia & South Pacific French Polynesia 10 Best Islands in French Polynesia to Visit for the Bluest Waters and Overwater Bungalows Snorkel with humpback whales, spot sharks in pristine lagoons, and dive deep into local culture on French Polynesia's best islands. By Terry Ward Terry Ward Terry Ward is a writer covering family travel, culture, scuba diving, and more. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 9, 2024 Close Photo: Matteo Colombo / Getty Images When most people think of the islands of French Polynesia, honeymoon favorite Bora Bora and its overwater bungalows perched on a shimmering lagoon likely springs to mind. But this South Pacific archipelago — an overseas territory of France comprising 118 islands and atolls — encompasses so much more. Top 3 Can't Miss Rangiroa ticks all the French Polynesia boxes with prime snorkeling spots, overwater bungalows, and pearl farms to visit.For an even more remote experience, book a few nights on Tikehau, where snorkeling with manta rays tops the list of must-do activities.Moorea is easy to get to from the Papeete airport, and it is fun to explore by car and take in all the stunning vistas. From the far-flung atolls like Tikehau to the easy-to-access Moorea, this list of the best islands in French Polynesia has something for every traveler. Rangiroa M Swiet Productions / Getty Images The largest atoll in the French Polynesia islands and the second-largest atoll in the world, Rangiroa is an hour's flight from Papeete in Tahiti. Most of the hotels here are located near the tiny, thatched-roof airport, with Mai Tai Rangiroa offering oceanfront villas and Hotel Kia Ora Resort & Spa overwater bungalows. Scuba divers can book excursions with the Rangiroa Diving Center and check out Tiputa Pass, where even snorkelers can get in the water with the resident dolphins that make frequent passes on the ocean side of the atoll. Looking for a pearl souvenir? Take a tour at Gaugin's Pearl Farm, then stop by the small shack called Pearly, located right across from the Mai Tai Rangiroa hotel, for some well-priced pearls and jewelry. Tikehau Matteo Colombo / Getty Images You're really off the beaten path in the Tuamotus when you stay on the gorgeous atoll of Tikehau. A rustic spin on an overwater bungalow stay awaits at Le Tikehau by Pearl Resorts, situated on its own private motu, or islet. Just a short boat ride from the resort, you can head out for a day of snorkeling with Tikehau Diving from a location known as a "cleaning station" for manta rays — a place where the winged giants regularly arrive to get their gills detailed by smaller fish, who in turn get a fear-free feed. For a day trip with a local that's a real learning experience, head out on a private boat tour with Tikehau Ocean Tour. Owner Denis Grosmaire is an accomplished free diver and will spear-fish for your lunch — and show you the ropes if you want to try. Tikehau is best tacked on with an itinerary that takes in Rangiroa, too, just a 20-minute flight away. Papeete is also roughly 55 minutes by air from Tikehau. Moorea CampPhoto / Getty Images The easiest way to get from bustling Papeete — Tahiti's main city, where you first land in French Polynesia — to Moorea, located right across the channel, is via a catamaran ferry. As the boat pulls into the dock, the island's jagged peaks, carpeted in shades of emerald, rise sharply from the shoreline, welcoming adventurers. Follow scenic driving routes through the middle of the island that thread through pineapple fields to the incredible lookout at Belvedere, where you can bask in bewildering views of Mt. Totui, Opunohu Bay, and Cook's Bay. Or take the coastal route to hit the hidden beach of Tipaniers at the end of a sandy path in Moorea's northeast corner. Just a few minutes down the road from there, the Moorea Island Beach Hotel has comfortable bungalows lining a beach with kayaks you can use to explore the area. For the chance to see migrating humpback whales and their babies just offshore, plan to visit between August and early November, when Tahitian-owned outfitters such as Enjoy Boat Tours Moorea can put you in the water alongside the behemoths for the eye-to-eye encounter of your life. Tahiti Neil Rabinowitz / Getty Images Tahiti, the largest and one of the best islands in French Polynesia, is where you first land after most international flights. Tourists who only use Tahiti as a jumping-off point for heading elsewhere throughout the islands miss out on some serious natural beauty and true Tahitian hospitality. Book a room with views of Moorea at the Hilton Hotel Tahiti, just a few minutes from the airport. Then, get your bearings by walking around bustling Papeete and its central market, where everything from flopping fresh tuna to black pearls from the Tuamotus and handprinted pareos (a cloth similar to sarongs) are sold, before renting a car to check out the rest of the island. Keen surfers — and those who just like to watch monster waves ridden by the local pros — beeline it to the southwest coast and Teahupo'o, a small village where one of the heaviest waves in the world barrels near a channel just offshore. For more leisurely explorations, take your time road-tripping along Monoï Road — which rings the island and is named after Tahiti's famed infused coconut oil — to visit tiare (flower) plantations, perfumeries, and other iconic spots. Bora Bora Matteo Colombo / Getty Images It's impossible to mention the best islands in French Polynesia without talking about Bora Bora, which is also located in the Society Islands and is about a 50-minute flight from Papeete. Its name alone conjures swaying palms, calm lagoons, and, of course, canoodling couples who flock here for romantic getaways in the ubiquitous overwater bungalows. Competition in the romance category is stiff in these parts, but one of the finest places to sleep with the water lapping the stilt structure beneath your bed is The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort, with its famed over-water dining spot with views of Mount Otemanu. For something a bit out of the box in Bora Bora, drag yourself from your resort beach to check out the lagoon and surrounds via traditional Polynesian pirogue (a small boat similar to a canoe) during land and sea outings with Bora Bora Cultural Lagoon Tour. You'll visit the owner's family motu and learn about medicinal plants. And it wouldn't be a trip to Bora Bora if you didn't get in the water to snorkel with blacktip reef sharks and manta rays, an activity that can easily be worked into any lagoon itinerary. The Best Times to Visit Bora Bora for Good Weather, Lower Prices, and Incredible Whale Watching Fakarava Stuart Westmorland / Getty Images The second-largest atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago, Fakarava reveals itself in layers, making it more interesting with every return visit. Most visitors come here to scuba dive the famous south pass, Tetamanu. The reward? A wall of hundreds of grey reef sharks patrolling the entrance to the atoll lagoon as soon as you enter the water. But the atoll's north pass, Garue, is less visited and just as exciting for an underwater adventure with an outfitter like O2 Fakarava, which also makes regular trips to the south pass. It's common to see huge Napoleon wrasse in addition to scores of sharks at both sites and most other places around Fakarava, for that matter. For an interesting education on land, Fakarava local Enoha Pater can teach you all about the medicinal plants growing here on a low-tide night walk on the ocean side of the atoll, where you'll discover creatures you'd never spot snorkeling during the day. To stay in a sweet little bungalow right on the beach surrounded by flowering hibiscus and frangipani, you can't go wrong booking Havaiki Lodge, which also has an onsite black pearl farm and resident nurse sharks that frequent its pier. Huahine Alexis Goubert / Getty Images One of French Polynesia's Society Islands (along with Tahiti and Moorea), Huahine is considered more off-the-beaten-path and requires a 40-minute flight from Papeete to reach. Come for an Eden-like ambiance of gardens bursting with hibiscus and bougainvillea, fields of vanilla and bananas, and traditional villages where Tahitian hospitality prevails (get ready to hear the local greeting, "Ia Orana!," absolutely everywhere you go). Hotel Le Mahana is an idyllic place to stay along the island's south coast, with thatched-roof bungalows fronting a white-sand beach. Make a pilgrimage to see Huahine's sacred blue-eyed freshwater eels and try your hand at feeding them mackerel snacks. If you do just one land-based activity here, visit Maeva village to see two important cultural sites — the Marae of Maeva and the Fare Pōte'e Maeva Huahine — where you can delve into the significance of Polynesian ceremonial activities. Raiatea CampPhoto / Getty Images Yachties love Raiatea, another Society Island that's a 45-minute flight from Papeete, for its deepwater bays and bountiful anchorages. Visitors without sails to sleep under can bed down in airy bungalows like those at Opoa Beach Hotel. For something even more secluded, Motu Nao Nao (accessed via a private boat or helicopter) has just three bungalows on its 75-acre private island. If you're looking for adventures inland, pick up a paddle to try kayaking along the only navigable river in the French Polynesia islands — Raiatea's palm-lined Fa'aroa River. Challenge yourself to hike to Mount Temehani for views that extend beyond the beautiful lagoon below to take in Huahine, Bora Bora, Taha'a, and Maupiti in the distance. This Lush Island Is the Birthplace of Polynesian Culture — and Has One of the World's Rarest Flowers, Epic Snorkelling, and a Lagoon with Crystal Clear Waters Nuka Hiva homertov / Getty Images If you're coming to the less-touristy Marquesas Islands, reaching Nuka Hiva (the largest island in the chain) takes over three hours by air from Papeete. It's not about snorkeling in sparkling clear lagoons here — they don't exist in the Marquesas, where the waters are darker and rich with nutrients. Rather, come for rich Polynesian cultural encounters and forays into lush rainforests to hike to thundering waterfalls. Get your bearings with a stay in one of the 20 bungalows at Le Nuka Hiva by Pearl Resorts. Then, take a boat with Cannibal Art to reach the Hakaui Valley and hike to Vaipo Waterfall, one of the tallest in all of French Polynesia. The sight of the single cascade plunging down 1,148 feet is well worth the 1.5-hour hike to reach it. Speaking of art, Marquesans are known as some of the most talented artists, and their traditional wares extend from jewelry and carvings to tattoos. Don't be surprised if you're tempted to come home with a souvenir in the form of body art. You won't be the first one, that's for sure. Maupiti Hdeane / Getty Images Popular with French families looking for a little escape from mainland Tahiti, Maupiti (a 55-minute flight from the capital) is revered for its utterly relaxed vibe and pristine — and for the moment, overwater bungalow-free — lagoon. There are no big hotels here, only Tahitian guest houses, for a stay that promises lots of local culture and hospitality as welcoming as the flower leis that greet you on arrival nearly everywhere you venture in French Polynesia. Visitors come to Maupiti to snorkel and scuba dive with manta rays with Maupiti Diving and stroll the shallow waters of Tereia Beach. Natural beauty is all around in these parts. And your only mission is to soak it all in.