Society Islands

The Society Islands archipelago is the best-known and most-visited part of French Polynesia. It comprises 14 main islands, divided into two sub-groups: the Windward Islands (Tahiti, Moorea, Tetiaroa, Mehetia, Maiao) and the Leeward Islands (Bora Bora, Raiatea, Tahaa, Huahine, Maupiti). This is where you find Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, alongside the most iconic destinations in the Western imagination: Bora Bora and its turquoise lagoon, Moorea and its dramatic bays, Raiatea and the sacred UNESCO-listed marae of Taputapuātea.

Geographically, the Society Islands are high volcanic islands, unlike the Tuamotu coral atolls. Each is dominated by an eroded volcanic summit (Mont Otemanu 727 m on Bora Bora, Mont Rotui 899 m on Moorea, Mont Orohena 2,241 m on Tahiti — the highest point in French Polynesia), surrounded by a turquoise lagoon protected by a coral barrier. This configuration creates absolutely unique landscapes: emerald volcanic mountains plunging into turquoise waters, with motus (coral islets) scattered around like white-sand crowns.

The Society Islands are the most accessible and most touristic zone of French Polynesia. This is where almost all the iconic overwater bungalows are concentrated — Four Seasons, St Regis, InterContinental Thalasso Bora Bora for the very top end, Hilton Moorea, Manava Tahiti for accessible comfort. It is also where most signature excursions launch from: Bora Bora lagoon tour by pirogue, swimming with rays and lemon sharks, humpback whale watching off Moorea from July to October, the Three Coconuts pass hike on Moorea, surfing at Teahupoo on Tahiti's south coast.

For a first trip to French Polynesia, the Society Islands archipelago is the obvious choice — this is where all your mental images of the destination converge, and where the logistical effort (22 hours of flying) finds its most immediate reward.