Heritage
Heritage
Divine Island, Sacred Land
Bora Bora, created by God, fashioned by queens and kings, prides itself on being the eldest,
the first born...
Between myths
and legends
Vāvau, Te motu tapu o Ra (Created by God), Porapora i te fanau tahi (the first born)... The name Bora Bora, the first island created from Havai'i, the original land, is lost in time, myths and legends.
Migratory Heritage
The first inhabitants of the island are said to have arrived from South-East Asia in large double pirogues through various migrations. Inheritance of this past of great navigators: here one always trusts the winds, the moon and the stars.
Parity
royal
If the island has known great kings -
including Puni, who put an end to the internecine wars between the districts and imposed peace on the island - queens also left their mark until 1898, when Bora Bora entered the French bosom.
Historical heritage
Attached to the founding myths or to more recent history, many places have kept the imprint of it...
The imprint of gods, kings and kings
and heroes
Cult of gods and ancestors
From the marae (ancient sites of religious, cultural and sacrificial ceremonies, including Fare Opu decorated with turtle petroglyphs and Fare Rua/Marotetini the largest) to Tereia Point (place of the flight of souls), gods and ancestors are honoured.
Springs and sacred stones
Sources and sacred stones mark the island: the Vaimoa springs/Bain de Mauu and Te Pua Matari'i/Queen's Basin; the Ofai Honu stones in the shape of a turtle, Tumu iti of the creative god Ta'aroa, the footprints, the bell and Hiro's finger...
at the forefront of the fight for freedom...
During World War II, more than 5,000 GI's made Bora Bora an American supply base in the South Pacific. Memories still visible: quay and stele, airport, bunkers, cannons... and many little American-Tahitian children!
natural patrimony
A rosary of mountains and motu to be shelled
Basalt walls
and green valleys
From the majestic Mount Otemanu to the Pahia and Popoti Mountains - some populated by caves and birds - the view of Bora Bora is breathtaking! While the valleys give to admire a varied flora in the shade of the marae ... Guide recommended!
Islands preserved
Perfectly integrated into the idyllic landscape, the famous bungalows on stilts describe half circles of stars.
Beaches with immaculate white sand
On the main island or on the motu, the beaches have immaculate white sand, in stark contrast to the clear turquoise waters of the lagoon. The unique pass (Teavanui) and bays (Povai, Faanui, Hitiaa) allow this fragile ecosystem to thrive.
Cultural Heritage
Dancing, singing, healing, making ornaments and objects... The knowledge inherited from the tupuna, the ancestors, is shared and passed on...
Sharing know-how and traditions
The Heiva,
soul and memory of a people
The Heiva i Bora Bora is the soul and memory of an entire people. Songs, dances, percussions, traditional sports, costumes... have been passed down since time immemorial. Every evening, with the public, the ecstasy is shared.
King Pandanus
The use of fara (pandanus) in basketry and architecture - in order to blend in with the landscape, all hotels in Bora Bora are obliged to cover their roofs with it - is an essential cultural, historical and social fact in the life of the inhabitants.
Multisecular knowledge
Engraving, sculpture, tifaifai (cloth blanket), monoï, musical instruments, pareo, massages, medicinal plants, basketry... In families, gestures and know-how are passed on from one generation to the next. Behind the purchase of a souvenir, there is all this...
Inspirations
Bora Bora, refuge and muse for many explorers, artists, writers and filmmakers, never ceases to inspire ...
Refuge for explorers and writers
Cook, Bougainville, Alain Gerbault (to whom a monument is dedicated to Vaitape), Paul Émile Victor (owner of the motu Tane), Melville and Villaret... many explorers and writers have made the island their refuge, their home port.
Land of filmmakers
From Murnau (Tapu) to Laurentis (Hurricane, Shark boy) via Milestrone (The Bounty Rebellions), filmmakers have chosen the island as a setting and initiated romances: Marlon Brando succumbed to the charm of the young Tarita Teriipaia from Bora Bora!
Island refuge,
Muse Island
Muse of Painters and Sculptors
For naturalists accompanying explorers (Lejeune, Duperrey), then many painters and sculptors (Gouwe, Boullaire, Marin-Marie, Masson, Seaman, Yrondi, Despert, Frey, Teva Victor...), the island is a mistress, a muse.
