The Secret Island
Little sister of the Leeward Islands, Maupiti, formerly known as Maurua, retains all the authenticity of Polynesia. Located just 40 km south of Bora Bora, this secret island shares similarities with the Pearl of the South Pacific: a mountainous island surrounded by a crystal-clear lagoon and lined with motu and white-sand beaches.
Nicknamed the Bora Bora of the 60s, Maupiti is an unspoilt paradise, untouched by large-scale tourist infrastructures. There are no hotels, bars, restaurants or nightclubs here. The island offers friendly guesthouses on the main island or motu, as well as a charming motel on Tereia beach. The welcome is warm and genuine.
Life on Maupiti is simple, centered on growing watermelons and melons and harvesting copra on the motu. Cash is essential, as the bank has only one representative, who does not stay permanently on the island.
Accessible by air via Bora Bora or Raiatea, or by boat with the Maupiti Express from Bora Bora, the only pass linking the island to the outside world remains relatively dangerous, which explains why it has been protected from European penetration for centuries.
Today, Maupiti's 1,300 inhabitants form a deeply religious community, marked by the influence of Protestant missionaries.
Rent a bike in the main village of Vaiea to explore the island. The locals, who live in stilted fare by the sea, fish daily by pirogue and willingly share their way of life.
Maupiti's beaches are ideal for memorable walks. Some are home to protected turtles and sacred egrets, while Tereia beach, nicknamed the lovers' beach, invites romance with its white sand and crystal-clear waters.
The Maupiti lagoon reveals its treasures during dives near the Onoiau pass. Hammerhead sharks, leopard rays, manta rays, multicolored fish and coral gardens enchant on every dive.
Hiking in Maupiti allows you to visit Vaiea, its cliffs where seabirds nest, or the Hotu Parata cliff. Watermelon and melon fields, as well as traces of history, enrich the experience.
Sacred sites reveal the soul of the island: the Haranai valley and its lithic monuments, the Vaitea valley and the legendary Hiro pirogue, the red cliff of Nina Here, the Ofera marae on the motu of Tiapa'a, as well as an archaeological site dating back to the 9ᵉ century, one of the oldest in Tahiti and its islands.
Sharing the daily life of the locals by taking part in lobster or fish fishing by pirogue, or on excursions to the motu, offers total immersion. Maupiti, with its discreet, unspoiled beauty, embodies authentic Polynesia.
