Motu Fareone

Off the northwest corner of Moorea, where the lagoon runs wide and pale, two little motus sit just inside the barrier reef, and Motu Fareone is the quieter of the pair. It is a scrap of an island, a ring of powdery white coral sand around a fringe of palms, with clear shallow water on every side and its neighbour Motu Tiahura a short paddle across the channel. Against the green wall of Moorea mountains behind, it is about as close to the postcard idea of a desert island as an easy day trip gets.

The honest read is that the water is the reason to come, not the sand. The islet itself is tiny and bare, with no shade to speak of and nothing to buy, so the pleasure is in the snorkelling and the swimming rather than in lounging with a drink. The channel between the two motus is the standout, shallow and clear over white sand and coral heads, thick with butterflyfish and often crossed by stingrays, and gentle enough for beginners and children. A nearby sandbank draws small blacktip reef sharks, best seen with a guide who knows the spot.

As a naturalist this is exactly my kind of beach, all lagoon and reef and very little else. My day here is a slow kayak out from Tiahura on a calm morning, a long snorkel across the channel while the light is clear, and a spell on the sand between swims with water and a hat rather than a lounger. Come self sufficient, mind the coral with reef shoes, and carry everything out again. Skip Motu Fareone if you want service and shade, and choose it if you want the clear, quiet heart of Moorea lagoon.