Vaitape

Vaitape is the largest and well, the only town on Bora Bora. It is home to half of the tiny island's population, a whopping 5,000 people.

The area around Vaitape has been home to Polynesians since the fourth century when they arrived on the island via canoe. Nowadays the Vaitape harbor is the main stop for cruise ships and most other boats to the island. It's also the island's administrative center with several banks, a post office and a police station.

It's highly likely you will pass through town several times on your visit, either by choice or necessity. Popular attractions include the Lagoonarium (a kind of underwater zoo), the pleasant, pink Protestant Church as well as a monument to Alain Gerbault, the first Frenchman to sail his yacht around the world. There are also restaurants, cafes and Bora Bora's only shopping center, the Centre Commercial La Pahla.