Cook's Bay

Cook’s Bay in Moorea is spectacular; no surprise that it is one of the most often photographed anchorages in French Polynesia. It is a deep, finger-shaped body of water formed when half the ancient volcano that created the island slid into the sea. As a result, we are surrounded almost entirely by mountains: peaks and steep mesas, jagged crags and serrated spires.

Ever the mountain man at heart, Dominic confessed that he was ready for more dramatic scenery after our fourth week of looking at strings of palm trees in the Tuamotus. The scenery has been found, and he has proclaimed this anchorage the most beautiful we’ve visited yet.

The beauty has lent itself to excellent activities, walks through the nearby village, snorkels in the sunshine, long, lazy jaunts on the paddle board, long, lazier afternoons in the cockpit, reading and gazing at the scenery.

The anchorage is calm, the mountains protecting us from wind, the reef outside the lagoon protecting us from sea swell, the muddy bay floor holding the anchor securely in place. A few light squalls have moved through, but we’ve been enjoying mostly sunshine and billowy clouds. It’s lovely, and we’re enjoying the pressure of needing to get stuff done in Tahiti washing away.