Bora Bora Too Busy? Explore Friendly Rurutu In French Polynesia

Forbes

24-06-2025

The limestone caves and sapphire seas of Rurutu make it a unique island to visit in French ... More Polynesia.
Beneath a grapefruit tree on the road that rings the Polynesian island of Rurutu, my six-year-old daughter stuck out her thumb. The first car, a Mini-Cooper, stopped and the driver greeted us in Tahitian. 'Ia orana! My name is Tom. Where would you like to go?'
We chose to spend our family vacation on the remote island of Rurutu to beat the crowds and experience a more laid-back version of French Polynesia. Many of French Polynesia's 118 islands fly under the travel radar. This is especially true of Rurutu, one of the seven Austral Islands that are strung like pearls across the ocean 400 miles southwest of Tahiti.
Unlike more popular South Pacific destinations like Bora Bora or Moorea, Rurutu is a welcome throwback to a more mellow paradise with strong ties to traditional Polynesian culture.
When we arrived after the 75 minute flight from Tahiti, everyone in the one-room, open-air airport was bedecked with fragrant, handmade leis. Our kids' eyes went wide with wonder when they, too, were adorned with flowers by our hosts at Vaitumu Village, a small, peaceful hotel where we rented a bungalow.
Rurutu island in French Polynesia offers uncrowded beaches and unique natural beauty and culture.
Hitchhiking Around Rurutu's Paradise
To get a feel for Rurutu and meet some of the 1,200 people who live there, we decided to try hitchhiking. The island just three miles wide and seven miles long, bordered on all sides by clear, sapphire seas. Circling Rurutu on the narrow, tree-lined main road takes less than an hour.
Friendly locals were always happy to give us a ride during our week-long stay. Many of them went out of their way to show us the island.
Tom, a high school teacher who was the first person to give us a lift, took us to the grocery store in Moerai, the island's largest village. He told us he prefers the slow pace of Rurutu after growing up in busy Papeete, Tahiti. 'I don't have kids yet, but when I do I want to raise them here, where it is tranquil and everyone is kind,' Tom said.
At the living-room-sized market, we selected crackers, peanut butter, cold Perrier and a few slices of handmade pizza for lunch, then took our bounty to a shady sea wall. After a quick dip in the jade-green shallows, we wandered back to the main road and once again stuck out our thumbs.
Next stop: the Monster Cave, a stalactite-encrusted natural wonder tucked inside Rurutu's white cliffs. We were so enamored of the cave's unique beauty—and confused by the many trails disappearing into the brush—that we paid for a guided tour the following day.
Iosefa Maaro, our guide, handed out gloves and showed us how to carefully climb the sharp limestone. He guided us with a flashlight through a series of caves, pointing out shimmering crystal salts on one side and sweeping vistas of the sparkling Pacific on the other.
The author's family finds a hidden pocket beach on Rurutu, thanks to a friendly local driver.
Rurutu Offers Abundant Fruit, Culture And Nature
Rurutu is still wild and largely undeveloped, with gorgeous tropicbirds circling the cliffs and humpback whales breaching just a quarter-mile from shore. Tourists visiting this remote destination can explore its many caves, watch breaching humpbacks (from July through October), go fishing for jacks and tuna offshore, or learn to weave with grasses and palm leaves.
'Many of us come back here after we get an education, to be with our families and to hike and to live in the traditional way,' says Aufi-Yen Opuu, the manager of Vaitumu Village.
One day we caught a lift with a Marquesan salesman named Raymond to the southern village of Haeti. He dropped us at a long stretch of deserted beach and said he would pick us up in two hours for 'a full tour of the island'.
While we awaited his return, the kids made a fort out of palm fronds and pushed each other on a rope swing. I swam in the butter-warm turquoise water. At lunchtime, we applauded as local children played drums on the beach, snacking on the bouquet of baguettes beside them.
Later that afternoon, Raymond chauffeured us around the rest of Rurutu, pointing out dozens of species of fruit trees. A past mayor decided to plant abundant food along the main route. Anyone can harvest delicious grapefruit, papaya, lychee, avocado, coconut, mango and more whenever they were hungry. Our kids learned to identify cacao from coffee, breadfruit from pineapple, and decided every community should provide free fruit.
At the end of Raymond's tour, he dropped us off at the market in Moerai where we picked out souvenirs from the lovely traditional wares. Weaving is a cultural trademark of Rurutu, and we admired the intricately woven hats and purses, made from pandanus and coconut fibers.
Vaitumu Village on Rurutu island offers ocean-view bungalows, a pool, and a restaurant and bar.
Unwinding On Rurutu's Island Time
The ease and abundance of Rurutu extended to our stay in Vaitumu Village, the island's premier lodging option. Our two-room, ocean-view bungalow was perfect for napping, as was the flower-strewn poolside patio. We enjoyed delicious poisson cru and other Polynesian meals at the village's restaurant, and chatted with other guests and locals during the bar's sunset happy hour.
After a week of swimming, beach-combing, cave-exploring and plenty of conversations with locals, I was more relaxed than I can remember.
'It is very difficult to leave Rurutu, isn't it?' said Opuu, as she draped my family in beautiful leis before our departure. My daughter nodded, sipping one last pineapple juice mocktail.
Luckily, I know where to return next time I want to truly unwind. For those looking for a perfect Polynesian getaway, Rurutu is the place to be.