Raia'tea- Motu Ofetaro

Once again, I elected to go to Motu Ofetaro on our first day in Raiatea. On the original schedule Raiatea was to be our first stop after Fanning Island. As you probably know, fanning Island is often missed for weather and medical. It’s been missed the last two consecutive years in due to medical evacuation, which had us turn around and return to Hawaii.

Because of the long stretch of days between Hawaii and Raiatea. I’ve always been a bit nervous about getting to Raiatea on time. Had either of those medical evacuations taken place later, there is a chance we would not have gotten into Raiatea on schedule. For that reason. I don’t book a non-refundable tour on day one, and instead opt for a beach day at Moti Ofetaro, where you can purchase water taxi tickets on the spot.

Purchasing a water taxi ticket is very easy. Just exit the ship and walk straight across into the large popular area selling tour tickets. Ask for a water taxi ticket to Moto Ofetaro. The cost is $25 and the water taxi runs every 30 to 45 minutes all day long. Because we had a group from cruise critic all walk off together. I was able to negotiate Tickets for $20 per person, so there is some wiggle room.

There is surprisingly good snorkeling off the northern tip of the island. I was able to call in a black tip shark. Lots of clown fish and live coral, but be cautious if you move too far towards land as the current is strong.

Because our itinerary was switched around, we ended up in Rio T on a Saturday. It also happened to be international women’s day. The island was quite busy with locals having barbecue, and this group of women practicing hula was an authentic addition to the day.

Moti Ofetaro is a rustic beach day. Bring a beach towel and be prepared to lay in the sand. There are some cement tables scattered across the island, but these are claimed quite early. For me, there was no reason to have a table as I literally spent four hours in the water. It’s that beautiful

Although you may read on TripAdvisor that there are bathrooms and showers it does not appear that these have worked in many years. Although on my visit in 2025, it appears as though some buildings have been erected which may end up modernizing this tiny island.

In summary, Motu Ofetaro is a super cheap and easy beach day. If you are looking to spend a day with locals in a no-frills environment, but at a spectacularly sandy Beach, this is the place. No need to book ahead. The hardest part of the entire trip is not losing the little piece of paper that is your return to dock.