Level: Free shore access This spot have a free shore access: you can go snorkeling there freely and without having to book a tour or pay an entrance fee. Resort nearby
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Last updated on August 15, 2023
Matira Beach is the only public beach in Bora Bora. Its white sand, coconut palms and translucent water also make it one of the most beautiful beaches in French Polynesia. Between its sandbanks, visited by stingrays, and its coral reefs teeming with colorful fish, Matira Beach offers several underwater environments for snorkelers to enjoy.
Matira Beach (aka Plage Matira) is located at the southern tip of the main island of Bora Bora. If you are not staying near the beach (several accommodations are located there), you can easily reach it by car or scooter from other parts of the island. There is a car park north of the beach, right next to Snack Otoamana.
We advise that you enter the water directly from the beach in front of the area you want to explore. The recommended entry points are Snack Otoamana for snorkeling the sandbanks (zone 1 on the map), and Snack Matira for the coral patches (zone 2 on the map).
Matira Beach has two snorkeling areas, each with different features.
This part of Matira Beach is arguably the most beautiful, with its pristine sandy beds bathed in translucent turquoise water. Here, the seabed is not spectacular at all, but you can still spot schooling yellow goatfish, a few butterflyfish and surgeons sheltering near the small rocky areas. There are also beautiful stingrays which come and go along the beach (↕1-6 ft/0.5-2 m).
This bay features gently sloping sandy beds, punctuated by dozens of patch reefs (↕6-18ft/2-6m). The reefs support very few living corals but attract lots of fish.
The very dense underwater life found in this area includes butterflyfish, triggerfish, surgeonfish, bannerfish, and many other species. On the seabed you be able to see some of the cushion starfish that live in the bay. Stingrays and, more rarely, spotted eagle rays, are also seen in this area.
There are restaurants and several businesses to purchase snacks along the beach. Around the tip of Matira Beach, a few hotels allow you to stay near the snorkeling areas: the Hotel Matira, the InterContinental Le Moana Bora Bora, and the Matira House Bora Bora.
These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
