Mo'orea by: car, scooter, bike

A guide to your transport options on this little island.

“We’re just going to catch the bus. I don’t mind catching a bus.”

My aunty, 80-years-old, is visiting Mo’orea for the first time with two septuagenarian friends. The three of them are up for an adventure, but none of them are keen to drive.

“Yeah, you’re going to be waiting a while,” is my response to her optimistic statement. “Maybe forever. Who knows?”

Apparently there is a bus here, but after 3 years it’s still a complete mystery to me. I’ve heard conflicting reports that:

• It only comes once a day at 4am

• It’s stopped running

• It meets up with every Aremiti ferry

• The local council has been trying to engage a bus provider for over 2 years with no success

• There never was a bus, what are you talking about?

Safe to say, don’t rely on public transport once you get off the ferry.

So how do you get around? Below are some options for self-directed exploration, but there are also safari tours and big tour buses such as the Moorea Explorer which you can investigate if you want something more guided.

Aunty Lorna and friends at the Belvedere (after I hired a car and drove them around!)

Mo’orea by car

As a small island with one main road that runs the 64km around it, a car is a great option even for a nervous driver. It’s a single lane all the way with exactly zero traffic lights or roundabouts. The main road and road into Opunohu Valley are smooth and easy to navigate and there isn’t much traffic.

The road near Afareaitu

Some of the roads that go into the valley can get a bit rough (especially after the rain), but it’s unlikely most visitors will go very far up these.

Car rental isn’t cheap but it gives a good amount of flexibility (and storage space - especially if you have children travelling with you!). To do a full lap of the island would take just over an hour without stops.

• There are limited automatics and it can be challenging to find these at rental agencies

• Most rental agencies will accept a drivers license in French or English, if not in these languages consider getting a translation

• While it’s a chill place to drive, stray dogs bolting onto the road can be a hazard.

Rental agencies close to the ferry include Auto Rent Moorea, Hertz, and Avis. Some agencies will offer a car pick up from the airport.

Thinking about getting around via taxis? While taxis are available, they’re not cheap so this option could easily start stacking up. If you plan on taking mostly taxis, stay somewhere with shops and restaurants within walking distance.

Mo’orea by scooter

I recently learnt how to ride a scooter and I’m a convert. They’re so much fun! A scooter can be a more budget-friendly way to explore the island as there’s not too much distance to cover.

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• Most scooter rental places will accept international licenses, but you may be limited to 50cc

• While the road that circles island is flat, where you would potentially struggle would be any roads into the valleys that aren’t paved

• In some locations (such as Temae beach) thieves will target scooters, so never leave anything valuable in the scooter storage and take out good insurance.

Scootering around the island will take a bit more time than a car (maybe a total 1.5 hours if you don’t stop) but can be a bit easier to pull over to check out the various shops and sights.

Scooter rental close to the ferry include Moorea Scooter and Coco Rider.

Mo’orea by bike/e-bike

I’ve personally never tried to do a tour of the island via pushbike, but my brother-in-law did once. It was a full day with a few steep hills and very sore muscles afterwards as he and his partner weren’t seasoned cyclists. I have done an electric assist bike tour with my mum once which was fun but a BIG day. By the end I had a very sore bum and was ready to lie back with a cold drink!

Mum’s smiling, but we had stopped to rest our bums!

I think if we’d gone straight around the island, we’d have been done within half a day. However our tour stopped for coffee, at each beach for a swim, for a pareo dyeing course with Pareo Mana, for lunch and an ice cream, and then a few more times just to take in the view. It ended up being a full day event.

Pareo dyeing right after I broke my shoe and mum’s bike had a malfunction (the rental company came and dropped another one off though!)

• The roads in Mo’orea aren’t bad for cyclists as there’s a shared cycle/pedestrian path the whole way round and cars are fairly good at giving you distance

• There are a few sections where the road gets a little rough but nothing too daunting

• The interior road up to the Belvedere would be a challenging climb, but avid cyclists might have a good time doing it.

E-bike rentals close to the ferry include Electric Motors Moorea and Tere Moorea Bike.

Other options

• Hiring a car in Tahiti and bringing it on the ferry - I’ve heard that this can be a cheaper option, so do some research before booking and check out my ferry guide below

• Hitchhiking - this is a fairly common thing to see here, but obviously if you’re in a rush to catch a plane or a ferry, probably not the most reliable option

• ATVs - there are a few companies doing ATV tours but these are generally guided

• Walking - if you’re staying in Maharepa or Tiahura, you might be able to get away with walking as you’ll be close enough to restaurants and shops. However, the sun does get very strong and walking could become a bit of a hassle after a while.

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