A Superyacht Owners’ Guide to the Pacific Islands
After a long season luxuriating in the Mediterranean, many superyacht owners are turning their attention to the Southern Hemisphere. Why?
Chasing the year-round summer, of course.
WHY ARE THE PACIFIC ISLANDS POPULAR WITH SUPERYACHT OWNERS?
It’s not just the weather attracting discerning owners and charterers to the region. After all, the Caribbean has long dominated winter sailing itineraries thanks to its equally reliable climate, calm cruising grounds and well-established (and highly glamorous) infrastructure.
What the Pacific Islands offer instead is a genuine sense of discovery. With tens of thousands (estimates range from 20,000 to 30,000) of individual islands, islets and atolls, no two trips are the same. Moreover, this remoteness isn’t found on typical sailing routes. In the Mediterranean summer, there are hundreds of other yachts; in the Pacific Islands, you can go days without seeing another soul, should you so desire. With lagoon cruising, world-class diving spots and hugely varied wildlife, the region offers the freedom of true exploration and the kind of adventure that is increasingly rare in today’s well-trodden luxury travel landscape.
WHICH PACIFIC ISLANDS ARE BEST FOR SUPERYACHTS?
It’s absolutely paramount that a carefully selected route is finalised before embarking on a Pacific Islands adventure. Major, well-known cruising destinations such as Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, the Cook Islands and more sit within the cyclone belt at this time of year, so superyacht owners will want to steer well clear. Instead, opt for islands within French Polynesia. These are much farther from the region’s cyclone zone, offering predictable sunshine without sacrificing the turquoise waters and bright white sand that makes the Pacific so alluring.
Tahiti
From a logistics perspective, it makes most sense to begin the journey in Tahiti. With its international airport, Faa’a International Airport (PPT), which links to major hubs in North America, Europe (with a short stopover en route), New Zealand, and Tokyo, it is the easiest island to access. As the gateway to French Polynesia, Tahiti is an excellent starting point for immersing yourself in Polynesian culture. On land, must-visits include the Papeete Municipal Market, the Robert WAN Pearl Museum, and the lighthouse at Pointe Venus for sweeping vistas of the bejewelled coastline. Before long, however, the water will inevitably call, beckoning vessels to cast off for the neighbouring Moorea.
Moorea
Just a few miles northwest of Tahiti lies the heart-shaped island of Moorea. Renowned for its spectacular natural beauty, the island is rumoured to have inspired the mythical Bali Hai from James Michener’s Tales of the South Pacific. Here, superyacht owners and charterers will want to spend as much time in the water as possible. In Moorea’s lagoon, nestled comfortably on the seabed just shy of the surface, divers and snorkellers can find a marine museum of sorts. The submerged tiki sculptures here are made of volcanic stone and were created by artist Tihoti GUY from Moorea in tribute to Polynesian ancestors forced by missionaries to cast their religious symbols into the sea. From this underwater museum, move to The Aquarium near Cook Bay, where you’ll find a colourful collection of triggerfish, trumpetfish and sergeant major fish. If you’re lucky, you may even see a small shark – don’t worry, they’re all friendly reef sharks here.
Bora Bora
Romantics will already know Bora Bora, one of the world’s foremost honeymoon destinations. But viewing it purely as a retreat for couples would do the island a disservice. At its core stands the island’s dominant, dramatic extinct volcano, Mount Otemanu, which you can hike with a local guide. While the island offers all the pellucid waters and sun-bleached sand this part of the world is famous for, it truly comes into its own at sunset. There’s no better place to take a tender from the mothership to a lagoon’s sandy shores, where the crew has set up a private beach barbecue or dinner. As the sky shifts from pink to violet to inky blue, guests can marvel at nature’s cinematic beauty while sampling local Polynesian delicacies. This setting epitomises yachting in the Pacific Islands, where the spirit of exploration meets the highest standards of luxury travel.
French Polynesia is just one corner of the Pacific Islands, and for those willing to venture beyond the traditional winter cruising circuit, the rewards are plenty.
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