France
Satellite: Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 by EOX (CC BY 4.0). Outline and points © OpenStreetMap contributors / Natural Earth. North up.
In numbers
30.0km²
Area
139km
Coastline
288m
Highest point
10,758
People
29°C
Warmest sea
March
5,961km
To the mainland
When to go to Bora-Bora
Best for the beach from June to October.
The sea is warmest in March (29 °C) and coolest in August (27 °C). You can swim comfortably all year (21 °C or more).
Averages 1991–2020. Sea: NOAA OISST, the water within 35 km of the coast. Air, rain and sun: NASA POWER. Best months weigh warm afternoons (23–30 °C), sea of 24 °C or more and few wet days.
Main island in the Bora Bora Islands Group
Bora-Bora is an volcanic island in France. It covers 30.0 km², with 139 km of coastline. Its highest point rises to 288 m. About 10,758 people live on it. The nearest mainland is 5,961 km away.
Getting there
- Bora Bora Airport (BOB)airport on the island, with scheduled flightsCar hire at BES airport (Brest)Discover Cars · Affiliate link↗
- FerriesBora Bora Airport - Vaitape, Tevairoa - Vaitape, St. Regis Main Island Shuttle
- 5,961 km from the mainlanddistance to the nearest continental coast
- From June to Octoberbest months to go (from 30 years of averages)
Plan the trip
Ferries, stays and things to do
Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.
On the island
What you find on Bora-Bora.
- 9beachesMatira Beach and 8 more
- 17viewpointsOhue, Point de vue des falaises, Antennes de Nunue - communication towers viewpoint and 14 more
- 9ferry terminalsMaupiti express, Sofitel Pier, Airport Boat and 6 more
- 10named peaksMont Otemanu, Pahia, Ohue and 7 more
- 9ruins and archaeological sitesVieux Canons Américains, Marae Aehau Tai, Marae Nonohaura and 6 more
- 3dive centresTopDive, Eleuthera Bora Diving Center, Dive ´n smile
- 21hotels, guesthouses and apartments
- 25restaurants, cafés and bars
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit, inside the island's outline. A low number may only mean nobody has mapped it yet.
The shape of the land.
On average the island stands 60 m above the sea. 94 % of it is below 200 m.
- 63 %0–50 m
- 30 %50–200 m
- 6 %200–500 m
- <1 %500–1,000 m
Share of the island's area in each altitude band, from the Copernicus DEM (30 m, read at 30–240 m on large islands).
Size, for real
Next to islands you may know.
5 km
All outlines drawn to the same scale (Natural Earth and OpenStreetMap).
Towns on the island
- Vaitape4,927 people
- Faanui2,061 people
- Anau1,412 people
Month by month
The weather on the island.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoon high (°C) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 |
| Night low (°C) | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 |
| Sea (°C) | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 |
| Rain (mm) | 206 | 180 | 144 | 121 | 94 | 60 | 43 | 39 | 34 | 74 | 114 | 210 |
| Wet days | 22 | 20 | 21 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 17 | 23 |
| Sun h/day | 7.3 | 7.4 | 8.1 | 7.6 | 7.3 | 7.4 | 7.7 | 8.2 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 8.4 | 7.5 |
| Wind (km/h) | 19 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 18 |
Averages 1991–2020 for the ~55 km NASA POWER cell over the island; the sea from NOAA OISST.
Recent years
Warmer and cooler years at sea.
Each month's sea temperature compared with its 1991–2020 average, in degrees.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | −0.3 | +0.2 | +0.6 | +0.8 | +0.7 | +0.6 | +0.4 | +0.5 | +0.5 | +0.4 | +0.3 | ±0.0 |
| 2021 | −0.2 | +0.2 | +0.2 | ±0.0 | +0.4 | +0.3 | +0.4 | +0.3 | +0.2 | +0.1 | ±0.0 | ±0.0 |
| 2022 | −0.3 | −0.6 | −0.3 | −0.2 | +0.1 | ±0.0 | −0.1 | −0.2 | −0.3 | −0.2 | −0.3 | −0.4 |
| 2023 | −0.2 | +0.2 | +0.4 | +0.6 | +0.6 | +0.4 | +0.3 | +0.4 | −0.1 | +0.1 | −0.2 | ±0.0 |
| 2024 | +0.5 | +0.4 | +1.0 | +0.8 | +0.5 | +0.1 | ±0.0 | −0.1 | +0.4 | +0.1 | −0.1 | −0.2 |
| 2025 | +0.2 | +0.6 | +0.5 | +0.2 | +0.5 | +0.3 | +0.3 | +0.7 | +0.8 | +0.4 | +0.3 | +0.1 |
+1 warmer than usual −1 cooler than usual
Photos
Seen by visitors.
Nearby
More islands nearby.
About these numbers
| Names, area, population | Wikidata (Q31929310) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Outline | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Sea temperature | NOAA OISST v2.1 · 1991–2020 |
| Climate | NASA POWER · 1991–2020 |
| Relief, 3D model | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Beaches, ports, lighthouses, trails | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Towns | GeoNames · CC BY 4.0 |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
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