A Week in French Polynesian Paradise

A week in the Leeward Islands is enough to do the classic three-island loop justice—Raiatea as the sailing capital, Taha'a for the vanilla and the Coral Garden, and Bora Bora for the silhouette that put French Polynesia on the map. Our suggested crewed charter itinerary starts with a seamless arrival at Marina Apooiti and rides the prevailing southeasterly trades downwind to Bora Bora before looping back. With a professional captain and private chef handling every detail, all you need to do is step aboard, settle in, and let the trade winds do the rest.

It's a tight, indulgent week designed for the kind of guest who wants real sailing, real culture, and enough time in the water to remember why you came. If you can stretch the trip to ten days, add Huahine and Maupiti. Seven days is the minimum that does these islands justice.

Day 1: Arrival at Marina Apooiti, Raiatea

Your journey begins at Marina Apooiti on Raiatea—the sailing capital of French Polynesia and the logical base for any serious exploration of the Leeward Islands. After the short transfer from Raiatea Airport, your professional crew welcomes you aboard with cool refreshments and a warm chart briefing that frames the week ahead. Settle into your cabin, stow your gear, and take a moment on deck to take in the view of Mount Temehani rising green behind the lagoon.

Once you're ready, the captain slips lines for a short sail into the protected inner lagoon that Raiatea shares with neighboring Taha'a. This is an easy, sheltered first passage—no open water, no big swell, just the two islands enclosed by a single barrier reef. Drop anchor in a quiet bay on Taha'a's east side, break out the water toys, and shake off the travel miles with a swim in clear, bathwater-warm water.

As the sun drops behind Bora Bora on the western horizon, your private chef will prepare the first gourmet dinner aboard—often a Polynesian take on fresh local fish with tropical fruits and a chilled bottle of something crisp. Cocktails on deck, stars overhead, and the hum of the reef in the distance set the tone for the week ahead.

Highlights of your first day:

  • Seamless welcome and chart briefing at Marina Apooiti, Raiatea.
  • Sheltered first sail into the protected Raiatea–Taha'a shared lagoon.
  • First swim in calm, reef-protected water on Taha'a's east side.
  • Chef-prepared welcome dinner aboard as the sun sets over Bora Bora.
A typical Society Islands lagoon, viewed from above.
Raiatea, the sailing capital of French Polynesia.
Taha'a from above, ringed by its shared barrier reef.
The unmistakable silhouette of Bora Bora and Mount Otemanu.
Taha'a seen from above—irregular coastline, deep bays, and the shared lagoon with Raiatea.
Taha'a and Raiatea share a single barrier reef, creating one of the most protected cruising grounds in the Pacific.

Day 2: Taha'a's East Side—Motu Mahea and a Vanilla Plantation

Start the morning with a quiet breakfast at anchor and a swim off the stern. Your crew will move the yacht a short distance within the shared lagoon to Motu Mahea, a tiny palm-covered islet perched on the edge of the barrier reef on Taha'a's east side. The snorkeling here is excellent—vibrant coral, reef fish in every color, and the calm water of the inside lagoon. Spend the morning in and out of the water, or take the tender ashore to walk the motu.

After lunch aboard, the tender will take you to one of Taha'a's vanilla plantations. French Polynesia produces some of the best vanilla in the world, and walking through the orchids—hand-pollinated, one flower at a time—is the kind of quiet, tactile experience the island does well. Most plantations sell fresh beans and extract by the gram; buy the good stuff while you're here.

Back aboard, your captain will reposition to Haamene Bay, one of the longest and deepest inlets in the Societies. Cocktails on deck, chef-prepared dinner, and a night in water so glassy you can see the reef below.

Highlights of Day 2:

  • Morning snorkel and motu walk at Motu Mahea.
  • Afternoon vanilla plantation tour and tasting on Taha'a.
  • Evening repositioning to Haamene Bay.
  • Chef-prepared dinner in one of the calmest anchorages in the Societies.
Protected lagoon water inside the Taha'a barrier reef.
The Coral Garden drift snorkel at Motu Tau Tau is the single best in-water experience in the Societies.
Downwind reach from Taha'a toward Bora Bora.
The short downwind hop from Taha'a to Bora Bora is one of the most scenic fifteen miles of sailing in the Pacific.

Day 3: Coral Garden, Black Pearls, and a Downwind Reach to Bora Bora

This is the signature Taha'a morning, and it deserves the full treatment. Your crew will move the yacht around to the northwest corner of the island, anchoring near Motu Tau Tau for the Coral Garden drift snorkel—arguably the single best in-water experience anywhere in the Societies. You drop into a shallow channel between two motus, let the current carry you over a field of branching coral teeming with tropical fish, and finish on a white-sand beach at the other end. Thirty minutes of pure unplanned magic.

After the drift, a short tender ride up Haamene Bay reaches a black pearl farm, where a quick tour explains the two-year grafting process and ends in a showroom where you can buy loose pearls straight from the oyster. Lunch aboard, then the captain clears the Papai Pass on Taha'a's west side and sets a downwind course for Bora Bora—only about fifteen nautical miles, but it's fifteen of the most scenic miles of sailing anywhere in the Pacific.

Mount Otemanu grows steadily on the horizon until it fills the sky in front of you. Your captain will bring the yacht through the Teavanui Pass—the only navigable entrance to Bora Bora's lagoon—and anchor at Motu Topua, just across the lagoon from the main village of Vaitape. Sundowners on deck with the mountain in the windscreen and the lights of the overwater bungalows coming on across the water.

Highlights of Day 3:

  • Coral Garden drift snorkel at Motu Tau Tau—the Societies' single best snorkel.
  • Black pearl farm visit on Haamene Bay.
  • Downwind sail through Taha'a's Papai Pass to Bora Bora's Teavanui Pass.
  • Sundowners at Motu Topua under Mount Otemanu.
Aerial view of Bora Bora, Mount Otemanu, and the barrier reef.
Bora Bora from above—the barrier reef, the motus, and the twin peaks at the center of the island.

Day 4: Anau Mantas, Matira, and Dinner at Bloody Mary's

Start the day early with a short motor to Anau Point on Bora Bora's east side, one of the most reliable manta ray cleaning stations in the lagoon. The rays—often two-meter wingspans, sometimes bigger—hover in shallow water while cleaner wrasses work over their skin. Slip into the water quietly, keep your distance, and let them come to you. A good morning here is the kind of encounter you'll talk about for years.

After lunch aboard, the captain circles the yacht down to the southern end of the island and anchors off Matira Beach, the only public beach on Bora Bora and consistently ranked among the most beautiful in the world. The water is shallow for a long way out, easy to wade, and the light in the late afternoon is exactly what the photographs suggest. Take the tender in for a long walk on the sand or stay aboard and float.

Tonight, the tender takes you ashore to Bloody Mary's—Bora Bora's most famous restaurant, sand floors, open-air dining room, the day's catch laid out on ice at the entrance. It's touristy in the best possible way, and worth the visit at least once.

Highlights of Day 4:

  • Early-morning snorkel with manta rays at Anau Point.
  • Afternoon at Matira Beach, Bora Bora's only public beach.
  • Dinner ashore at Bloody Mary's.
  • Nightcap on deck with the lagoon lit up around you.
Bora Bora and Mount Otemanu seen across the lagoon.
Mount Otemanu, Bora Bora's basalt spine, dominates every anchorage on the island.

Day 5: Lagoonarium, a Motu Picnic, and the Yacht Club Farewell

Morning at the Lagoonarium, a protected section of reef where you can snorkel with reef sharks, sting rays, and sea turtles in shallow water. It's the rare in-water experience where the marine life comes to you—gentle, well-managed, and a favorite stop for guests who don't want to commit to a full-day scuba dive but still want the real thing.

After the snorkel, your crew will anchor off one of the outer motus for a long, slow lunch on the sand—table set, chilled wine, fresh poisson cru (raw tuna marinated in coconut milk and lime, the signature dish of French Polynesia), and the island rising across the lagoon. It's the kind of afternoon that earns the phrase "this is why we came."

By late afternoon, the yacht will be moored at the Bora Bora Yacht Club for your last night on the island. The club is relaxed, unpretentious, and has a long history with visiting cruisers—a good place to have a drink at the bar and watch the sun drop behind Otemanu. Tonight's dinner is aboard, a three-course farewell prepared by your chef, and something worth lingering over.

Highlights of Day 5:

  • Snorkel with reef sharks and rays at the Lagoonarium.
  • Motu picnic lunch with fresh poisson cru.
  • Sunset drinks at the Bora Bora Yacht Club.
  • Farewell chef-prepared dinner aboard under Mount Otemanu.
Raiatea's lush interior and the Faaroa River valley.
Back at Raiatea: the Faaroa River is the only navigable river in French Polynesia.

Day 6: Back to Raiatea and the Faaroa River

Your last full passage begins with an early breakfast and the close-reach from Bora Bora back to Raiatea—about twenty-five nautical miles in the typical trade, with Taha'a to the north as a visual marker the whole way. Your captain will time the approach to clear the Rautoanui Pass into the shared Raiatea–Taha'a lagoon by midday.

Lunch aboard, then the rest of the day is yours. The strong move is the Faaroa River—the only navigable river in French Polynesia—a slow dinghy or kayak trip up a jungle-lined waterway that cuts into the center of Raiatea. It's quiet, cool under the canopy, and unlike anything else on the trip. Bring a camera.

Back aboard, cocktails on deck and another chef-prepared dinner at anchor. Tonight's anchorage will be somewhere quiet on the Raiatea side of the lagoon, staged for tomorrow's final morning.

Highlights of Day 6:

  • Close-reach passage from Bora Bora back to Raiatea.
  • Dinghy or kayak trip up the Faaroa River, the only navigable river in French Polynesia.
  • Quiet chef-prepared dinner at a staged anchorage.
Final afternoon in the shared Raiatea–Taha'a lagoon.
A final afternoon in the shared Raiatea–Taha'a lagoon before closing the loop at Marina Apooiti.

Day 7: Marae Taputapuatea and a Final Sunset at Motu MiriMiri

The final full day leans into Raiatea's deeper history. Serious history buffs should make time for Marae Taputapuatea, the UNESCO World Heritage site on the east coast that served as the spiritual and political center of Polynesia for a thousand years. The stone platforms, the ceremonial ground, and the setting by the lagoon give context to everything else you've seen this week.

For the final night, your crew will anchor at Motu MiriMiri, a small islet on the south side of the lagoon with exceptional snorkeling and the best sunset view on Raiatea. One last swim, one last sundowner, one last chef-prepared dinner aboard, and the sound of the reef closing out the trip.

Highlights of Day 7:

  • Visit to Marae Taputapuatea, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
  • Final sunset, snorkel, and dinner at Motu MiriMiri.

Day 8: Farewell to Paradise

Enjoy a final slow breakfast aboard, a last swim if you're up for it, and a short sail back to Marina Apooiti for your mid-morning departure. Your crew will handle every logistic—transfer to Raiatea Airport, onward flights to Papeete, a last photo with the yacht in the background. Step off with saltwater in your hair and the sort of memories that tend to pull people back.

Have a few more days? Our 10-day Tahiti sailing itinerary adds Huahine and, weather-permitting, Maupiti. We highly recommend it if you can stretch the trip — the extra three days make a real difference.