Temae Beach sits on Moorea's northeast coast in French Polynesia, right next to Moorea (Temae) Airport and about 3 km from the island's ferry quay. It's the best-known public beach on Moorea, set between a coconut plantation and the barrier-reef-protected lagoon, with an open view across the channel toward Tahiti — whose volcanic silhouette is visible on clear days. Tahiti Tourisme, French Polynesia's official tourism body, lists it among Moorea's most beautiful beaches. Moorea itself covers about 134 km² and had a population of just over 16,000 at the 2022 census; it belongs to the Windward Islands group within the wider Society Islands, and is dominated by the volcanic profile of Mount Rotui, visible from much of the northeast coast.
Access is via a dirt road running alongside a wide coconut grove, connecting to the main road near the airport just past the To'eata scenic viewpoint. Parking is easy and free, and the site has public showers, restrooms, and a small beach-soccer pitch. Unlike Moorea's two other public beaches, Temae has no fixed closing time, though the security presence of the neighboring Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea Beach Resort, on Nu'arei Bay right by the beach, is often noticeable outside peak hours. A food truck sometimes sets up near the entrance, and the resort itself offers dining options within easy reach of the beach.
The sand is a mix of fine grain and coral fragments, denser in some stretches than others. The lagoon stays shallow close to shore, making entry easy, and the reef begins a short distance out — close enough to spot colorful fish without swimming far. Visitors report sightings of sharks, rays and octopus around the reef, with the clearest water and calmest currents early in the morning; as the tide and current build later in the day, reaching the reef gets noticeably harder.
A few minutes from the beach, between the airport and the lagoon, is the Moorea Green Pearl Golf Course, an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus design with a water driving range, pro shop, a beginners' golf academy and a clubhouse restaurant open Wednesday to Sunday. For something less active, the wider Society Islands region holds other reef-sheltered lagoons — starting with neighboring Bora Bora, where Plage de Matira, roughly 236 km from Temae, follows the same formula of pale sand and shallow reef-fringed water.
Moorea has a warmer season from November to March (average temperatures around 27°C) and a cooler one from April to October (around 25°C). As an unsupervised public beach, it's worth not leaving valuables visible in a parked car or belongings unattended on the sand — occasional thefts have been reported in the area. Even so, the combination of easy parking, basic on-site facilities and a reef reachable on foot keeps Temae the default choice for anyone visiting Moorea without a beachfront resort booking.
Yes — the reef begins close to shore and the lagoon is shallow right by the beach, with colorful fish visible without swimming far out. Visitors also report sightings of sharks, rays and octopus. The calmest water and best visibility are usually in the early morning.
It's about 3 km from Moorea's ferry quay, on the island's northeast coast near Temae Airport. Access is via a dirt road alongside a coconut grove, with free parking on site.
Public showers, restrooms, and a small beach-soccer pitch. A food truck sometimes sets up near the entrance, and the neighboring Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea Beach Resort has dining options.
No fixed closing time, unlike Moorea's two other public beaches — but since it isn't formally supervised, it's worth not leaving valuables visible in the car or on the sand.
Yes — the Moorea Green Pearl Golf Course, an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus design, is a few minutes away between the airport and the lagoon.
Real historical monthly sea temperature averages.
