Moorea Cook's Bay

About This Anchorage

Cook's Bay (Baie de Cook) is one of the most spectacular anchorages in all of French Polynesia — a narrow fjord-like bay cutting deep into the heart of Moorea, flanked on all sides by jagged volcanic peaks including Mount Rotui (899m). The anchorage is named after Captain James Cook who sheltered here in 1769. The bay is deep with scattered coral bommies — anchoring requires care, and snorkelling to check the bottom before setting is strongly advised. Restaurants and small stores line the waterfront road. Moorea's tourist infrastructure is concentrated around this bay. The ferry from Papeete takes 30 minutes and docks near the northern entrance — easy crew changes. The views from the boat at dawn and dusk are among the most extraordinary in the Pacific.

Hazards

• !Coral bommies throughout the bay — anchor only in verified sand patches; snorkel before setting hook
• !Deep water (8–20m) requires long scope — calculate scope carefully to avoid swinging onto bommies
• !NW exposure — northerly swell enters the bay; check forecasts before committing to overnight
• !Ferry traffic at the bay entrance — maintain clear channel; ferries run frequently and move fast
• !Strong wind gusts funnelling off the mountains — tropical squalls can arrive suddenly at night

Skipper's Tips

• →Snorkel your anchor chain before leaving the boat unattended — the beautiful water makes it easy to verify you are in sand and not coral
• →The view from the cockpit looking south toward Mount Rotui is one of the great anchorage views in the Pacific — take your time to enjoy it
• →Paopao village at the head of the bay has a basic supermarket and a produce market on weekday mornings
• →Opunohu Bay (1nm west) is less crowded and equally beautiful — consider anchoring there if Cook's Bay is full
• →Moorea's famous Belvedere lookout is accessible by rental scooter or taxi — the panoramic view over both bays is extraordinary

Nearby Anchorages