Dispatch · Moorea & Tahiti · 20 May 2024

It was everywhere. Travel forums, trip reports, people swapping French Polynesia tips. Go to Coco Beach. Book Coco Beach. Don’t miss Coco Beach.

Coco Beach, Mo’orea: The Little Motu Everyone Wants to Visit

Coco Beach is wonderful. But here's what I want to tell you if you're planning a trip to Moorea and haven't managed to get a reservation: don't despair.

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Before I ever got to Mo’orea, I had already heard about Coco Beach.

Photograph from Coco Beach, Mo’orea: The Little Motu Everyone Wants to Visit

It was everywhere. Travel forums, trip reports, people swapping French Polynesia tips. Go to Coco Beach. Book Coco Beach. Don't miss Coco Beach.

Of course, there was a catch: you needed to book weeks in advance. And then, having secured your coveted reservation, you could only pray that when your day finally arrived, it wasn't raining.

Coco Beach is wonderful.

But here's what I want to tell you if you're planning a trip to Moorea and haven't managed to get a reservation: don't despair.

You will be okay.

I say this because I feel for people who have only a week in a place and arrive with a list of things they absolutely must see, eat and do in order to feel they've "done" the destination properly.

I get the urgency. Especially somewhere like French Polynesia, which for many people is a bucket-list, once-in-a-lifetime trip. When you've saved for years to get somewhere, you don't want to come home wondering if you missed the thing everyone said you couldn't miss.

Having spent a couple of months in Mo’orea, I've learned that this is not an island that needs to be conquered.

Coco Beach has become one of those “don't miss it” stops that gets repeated over and over online. And once you've read enough travel blogs and seen enough Instagram posts, it's easy to start believing that if you don't make it there, you've somehow missed Mo’orea.

You haven't.

Please don't let someone else's one-week itinerary make you feel that way. Most of the people telling you that Coco Beach is a must-do have only seen a small slice of what this island has to offer.

Coco Beach is a lovely outing. But there are plenty of other wonderful ways to get out on the water, plenty of beautiful places to swim, and plenty of good meals to be had around the island.

So if you get a reservation, go. Enjoy it. But if you don't, don't let it take up any more space in your head.

So, What’s the Big Deal?

So why does everyone want to go to Coco Beach?

For starters, you don't drive there.

You leave your car on the main island (some hotels have a water pickup), walk down to the little dock, and climb into a small boat. Fifteen minutes later, you're crossing the lagoon toward a tiny motu, with Mo’orea rising behind you.

And this is where I think Coco Beach gets it right. The boat ride isn't just transportation. It's part of the experience.

I don't think you really know an island until you've seen it from the water, from a little distance. Not just a glimpse from the ferry, but far enough away that you can turn around and take in the whole picture.

From this side of Mo’orea, you see the shallow lagoon and the little motus scattered across it, the water shifting from deep blue to impossible shades of turquoise, and those enormous green mountains rising behind everything.

The setting is beautiful without trying too hard. There are tables on the deck, more on the sand, the lagoon is right in front of you, boats come and go, and there is enough shade to settle in for a few hours. You can swim, have a drink, eat, and wander along the beach and do a little snorkeling.

Come Hungry

There is plenty to eat. Things are constantly coming off the grill, along with seafood, burgers, and all the usual beach-lunch favorites. Portions are generous, so come hungry.

The magic of Coco Beach isn't the food. It's the location.

The cocktail list is equally suited to the setting, with plenty of cold, tropical drinks to choose from.

Coco Beach is also particularly good for groups. We've brought larger groups of friends and family here, and there are plenty of big tables and room to spread out.

It's uncomplicated, generous island food, served in a place where you can take your time.

A Few Things to Know

Book ahead. Coco Beach can fill up weeks in advance, particularly in high season.
Keep an eye on the weather. It can get windy, and if it's looking breezy, I'd ask for a table down below rather than on the upper deck.
Bring water shoes. You'll be going in and out of the lagoon, and they're useful around the motu.
Other Items to Bring: Snorkel and mask, towel (they don't provide them), sunscreen, hat, water shoes, and a light windbreaker or cover-up.
Watch little kids in the water. The current out in front of the motu can be surprisingly strong. The snorkeling is just okay, but I wouldn't make it the main reason for coming.
For better swimming and snorkeling, head clockwise toward the lagoon. The land is private, so you may have to walk in the water or swim there(although the current is strong). This is where you'll find the calmer lagoon area. In this area, you can swim with rays and blacktip reef sharks in the shallow water. You may have to request permission or, better yet, book a day trip here directly via Temoana Tours https://www.viator.com/en-GB/tours/Moorea/Excursion-on-the-lagoon-with-lunch-on-the-water-on-a-Motu (if I were to pick just one thing for a one-day boat trip, Temoana Tours would be my top choice).
It's particularly good for older travelers. This is one of the things I love about Coco Beach. You don't have to commit to a full-day lagoon excursion. You can take the little boat over, have lunch, spend a few hours enjoying the motu, and head back. We had a grandmother with us one time, and it was an easy way for her to experience being out on the lagoon without signing up for an entire day on the water. As the boat ride is short and easy, it is a good water trip for non-boat people.
Don’t kayak over without a reservation. Even if you see empty tables when you arrive, they won’t let you stay without a reservation. So don’t assume you can paddle over and get lucky. If you want to eat at Coco Beach, book ahead.
Don't panic if it's booked. Coco Beach is lovely, but it isn't the only way to have a great day on Moorea. There are plenty of other ways to get out onto the lagoon, and there are other ways to have a good lunch on a motu.