Anau Village Waterfront Stroll
While the resort strip gets all the Instagram attention, Anau on Bora Bora's eastern coast offers something rarer: a genuine Polynesian community going about its day, with Mount Otemanu looming overhead and the lagoon glittering just a few metres away.
A village the tourist buses skip
Anau is almost directly opposite Vaitape on the east coast, though you have to drive all the way around the island to reach it — a journey that already feels like a small adventure. The village is a typical Polynesian settlement: a large church with a steeple, a general store, and tin-roof houses tucked along the road behind coconut plantations.
The lagoon is exceptionally narrow at this point — Motu Piti Anau sits barely a mile offshore — which means the water between village and motu shimmers like a mirror and the overwater bungalows of the InterContinental Resort on Motu Pitiaau appear close enough to touch.
From the village road there is a great unobstructed view of Mount Otemanu, arguably the cleanest sightline on the whole island. Arrive at golden hour and the volcanic peak turns amber while the lagoon goes from turquoise to molten gold.
How to explore like a local
The best way to reach Anau from Vaitape is by bicycle — rent one near the InterContinental Le Moana and pedal the circle-island road clockwise through coconut groves, passing small villages and the occasional roadside fruit stand. The full circuit takes two to three hours at a leisurely pace.
Anau is also the boat-landing point for guests of Le Méridien and the InterContinental Resort on the motu, so water taxis skim back and forth throughout the day, adding a lively pulse to an otherwise tranquil shoreline.
Anau Village Waterfront Stroll on video
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