Matira Point
Best for. Snorkellers and couples who want the quieter, deepening end of the southern shore rather than the busy centre of Matira Beach.
Best spot. The public sand just before the resort frontage, where you can wade in and snorkel toward the point over sand and scattered coral.
Know this. The tip itself is mostly the InterContinental Le Moana resort beach. For an open public day, walk back along Matira Beach proper.
It helps to be clear about what Matira Point is and is not, because the names blur for most visitors. Matira Beach is the long public crescent of soft sand along the southern shore, the family swim and the famous free sunset. Matira Point is the headland at the very end of that beach, where the sand narrows, the lagoon deepens toward the channel and the InterContinental Le Moana resort takes up much of the frontage. If you want an open, towel on the sand public day, the main beach is your answer and you can read that guide. The point is the quieter, more particular corner.
What draws people to the point is the water rather than the sand. As the beach wraps the headland the shallow flats give way to clearer, deepening lagoon, and that gradient is what makes the snorkelling here so easy. You can wade in from the public end, float out over clean sand and scattered coral, and watch reef fish without ever needing a boat. The richest gardens sit further out in the lagoon and reward a tour, but for a swim with a mask straight off the beach, the point is the most rewarding stretch at the southern tip.
The honest limit is access and space. Much of the tip is resort beach, so the genuinely public sand is a narrower ribbon than first time visitors expect, and at the height of the day it can feel pinched between the lagoon and the hotel loungers. The reward for patience is the light. The headland faces west, so it shares the celebrated Matira sunset, and with a little less of the crowd that gathers on the central beach. Come late, keep to the public sand, and let the point quietly outperform its busier neighbour.
Where to eat and drink nearby
The point is largely resort frontage, so the public venues sit a short walk back along Matira Beach. These are the established lagoonfront spots open to everyone. The InterContinental Le Moana beach on the tip is for guests, and any day access is to be confirmed.
Photo: Lilian wong via GoogleBora Bora Beach Club
A short walk back along Matira Beach, this lagoonfront spot is the most polished public option near the point, serving cocktails, wood fired pizza and seafood with your feet close to the water. The natural pairing with a morning snorkel off the point is lunch here and a drink as the light drops. Open to everyone rather than resort guests only.
Photo: Bloody Mary's Bora Bora via GoogleBloody Mary's
The island's most famous casual restaurant and bar, a short way from the point, with sand floors, a rustic thatched room and the day's catch on ice to choose from. It is the one genuinely sociable, buzzy room on a quiet island, the choice for a lively dinner after a day in the water rather than a hushed table. Hours are to be confirmed.
Southern tip, Bora Bora
Matira Point is the southern tip of the main island, at the far end of Matira Beach, about eight kilometres and fifteen minutes by car from the main town of Vaitape. The airport sits on its own motu, so you arrive by boat transfer to Vaitape, then travel down the flat coast road to the point.
There is no real public transport, so a hotel transfer, taxi, rental or bicycle is the way down. Park along the public end of Matira Beach and walk the sand toward the headland, since the tip itself is resort ground rather than open parking.
Photo: aj via GoogleBook a beach club
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Common questions about Matira Point
What is the difference between Matira Point and Matira Beach?
Matira Beach is the long public crescent of soft sand along the southern shore, the place for an easy family swim and the famous free sunset. Matira Point is the headland at the very southern tip where that beach narrows, the water deepens toward the lagoon and the InterContinental Le Moana resort takes up much of the frontage. For a public beach day, choose Matira Beach.
Is the snorkelling good at Matira Point?
It is among the easiest snorkelling on the island. The water enters gently from the shore and then deepens as you swim out toward the point, so you can drift over sand and patches of coral without a boat. The richest reefs sit further out in the lagoon and are best reached on a tour, but the point gives a fine taste from the beach.
Can you visit Matira Point without staying at the resort?
The public sand of Matira Beach reaches toward the point and is free to walk, but the InterContinental Le Moana beach on the tip is reserved largely for guests. Some resorts offer a day package or a restaurant booking to non guests, though access and any cost vary and are to be confirmed, so contact the resort directly.
Is Matira Point good for sunset?
Yes. The headland faces west across the lagoon, so it shares the celebrated Matira sunset, often with a little more space than the busy central beach. The light wrapping the point and the silhouette of the motu beyond make it one of the quieter sunset spots at the southern end of the island.
How do you get to Matira Point?
Matira Point is the southern tip of the main island, around eight kilometres and fifteen minutes by car from Vaitape, at the far end of Matira Beach. Most visitors arrive by hotel transfer, taxi or rental, then walk the public sand toward the point. Public transport on the island is very limited.
