Located in Moorea-Maiao, this villa is on the beach. Moorea Ferry Terminal and Helene Spa are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those wishing to experience the area's natural beauty can explore Tiahura Beach and Coco Beach. The Sea Turtles Care Center and Tiki Village Cultural Centre are also worth visiting. Discover the area's water adventures with surfing/body boarding and swimming nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with ecotours.
Tiki Village Cultural Centre - 14 min drive - 7.7 km
Moorea Ferry Terminal - 55 min drive - 36.5 km
Restaurants
North Shore Poke & Smoothie Bar
Snack Mahana - 3 min drive
Holy Steak House - 2 min drive
Arii Vahine - 13 min drive
Restaurant Le Sunset - 10 min walk
Frequently asked questions
Is A Small Private Island Escape – Your Hidden Heaven in the Heart of the Lagoon. pet-friendly?
No, pets are not allowed at this property.
How much does it cost to stay at A Small Private Island Escape – Your Hidden Heaven in the Heart of the Lagoon.?
As of 24 October 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at A Small Private Island Escape – Your Hidden Heaven in the Heart of the Lagoon. on 4 November 2026 start from NZ$4,271, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.
What time is check-in at A Small Private Island Escape – Your Hidden Heaven in the Heart of the Lagoon.?
Check-in begins at 2:00 PM.
What time is check-out at A Small Private Island Escape – Your Hidden Heaven in the Heart of the Lagoon.?
Checkout is at 11:00 AM.
Where is A Small Private Island Escape – Your Hidden Heaven in the Heart of the Lagoon. located?
Nestled on the beach, this Moorea-Maiao villa is within a 10-minute walk of Tiahura Beach and Le Petit Village. Coco Beach and The Sea Turtles Care Center are also within 2 miles (3 km).
Reviews
10
Exceptional
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
I can’t begin to tell you how amazing our stay was. This was an absolutely perfect place; fantastic snorkeling, great hosts, just perfect all around. We’ve already started dreaming about our next stay here. If you love the ocean, this is the place for you. Perfection!
This place is amazing and Marco and Tatiana are delightful. The first thing on our mind while leaving was how we need to come back.
Highly recommend it.
Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 24 October 2022
Thank you guys! We were delighted to meet you, you will always be welcome.
The house was spotlessly clean and had all the amenities we needed.
The view was spectacular over the Ocean with beautiful sunsets.
The landscaping was perfect for a tropical island.
The Kayaks and Outrigger Canoe were perfect for the crystal clear waters around the island.
We walked around the island on the sandy beach each day.
We walked from the house, over the beach, right into the shallow ocean and snorkeled the reef.
The reef was very healthy and colorful with tropical fish all around us.
Marco is a great host and goes far beyond what is expected.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 21 February 2023
We were delighted to have hosted you and thank you for leaving the house perfectly clean and tidy.
Please come back anytime.
You get to stay on an island where others pay to be taken on a tour. The house is beautiful and artfully decorated and designed. The handy kayaks are great for a snorkeling outing, its a short trip to the sand bar with rays and sharks. you can also kayak to moorea for a shopping trip or coco beach. The snorkeling off the island is excellent. The island is also had no roosters, so we slept well. Marco is a gracious and helpful host. we really enjoyed using the fire box to grill our fish watching the sunset from the grill. truly a wonderful place, we wish we had stayed longer.
A paradise in the middle of the Pacific. Super endroit. Très propre et les hôtes sont courtois et discrets. Thank you for a great vacation!
Stayed 9 nights in Jul 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 18 July 2024
Thank you so much Sonia. Nous sommes ravis d'avoir partagé notre petit coin de paradis avec vous, vous serez toujours les bienvenus chez nous.
Kindest regards,
Marco
Great snorkeling right off the dock. No bugs. Very private. Marco and his wife are very great hosts.
If you are looking for a hidden retreat, book this today.
This is an incredible vacation property. Marco checked in before we arrived. He coordinated picking us up in his boat to take us the island. He showed us around the house and explained how everything worked.
Several times during our stay he took us back the main island so we could shop for food. When we couldn't get a reservation to the Coco Beach restaurant on the neighboring island, Marco made a call and made a reservation for us. When we asked about a whale watching tour, he knew what company we should book. We would recommend swimming with whales if at all possible.
He also called a taxi for us on the last day so we could get back to the ferry terminal. He and his wonderful wife did everything they could to make our vacation the vacation of a lifetime. They were attentive to our needs without being intrusive.
The snorkeling and swimming right in front of the property was incredible. We saw numerous fish, rays, sharks, turtles, and a frilly snake sea cucumber, all within steps of the property. One evening while watching the sunset we noticed humpback whales jumping outside the reef.
Our family of four had the perfect vacation.
Many thanks to Marco and his lovely wife.
Scott and Kim
The best way to describe this place is “Heaven” private island, private beach, amazing diving, nighttime star watching.
Marco and his wife (host) are the kindest
Most welcoming host’s we have ever encountered. If you are lucky enough to find this jewel available…Book it!!!!!!!
We had a fantastic stay at Motu Fareone. I would highly recommend this experience as part of your French Polynesian trip.
Marco was very helpful with meeting us on Moorea across from his home/island via boat. He also brought us back and forth (about once a day) so we could get food and do some adventures on Moorea.
Our highlights:
-Watching the sunset while swimming in the warm calm waters on a beach all to ourselves.
-Cooking dinner is the open air great room - kitchen, dining and living room. There was an outdoor grill you could make a fire for that would be great, we just didn’t use it.
-Taking the kayak to CoCo Beach on the next island for lunch.
-Eating ceviche at Sunset Restaurant
-Buying fresh fruit on the road in Moorea
The bathroom and changing room are really big, great for all you belongings when traveling.
There was air conditioning in the changing room and bedroom till 11:30 pm, which worked well for sleeping. (French Polynesia is very warm and humid)
Please note you need to be back in the home by sunset, so plan a accordingly to order food at Sunset Restaurant or cook for dinner depending on the time of sunset. We were fine with this and ate out for lunch on Moorea most days instead of at night. There are a few good places to eat walking distance in Moorea, but we rented a car to explore more and to see the island easier. There is a small grocery store walking distance, but the 2 big ones on the island you would need a car to access.
Also, there is power all day and night as well as internet (for an additional fee)
Would definitely go back!
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 13 March 2022
Wonderful guest! Very clean and respectful of house rules. I would be happy to host again!
Thank you Danielle, all the best to you.
Friendly greetings.
Marco
We had a great experience from start to finish. Marco met us at the pier of a close restaurant and we were off to spend 3 days on the Motu. We saw some of the best snorkeling on Moorea around that little Motu, lots of rays. The best times are the mornings and evenings. Theres nothing like waking up to the sound of the ocean and the breeze from the ocean in that giant bed and walking down to the beach seeing the trails left by the hermit crabs. The sunsets were beautiful too. Because of the Motus location and the properties location you easily get the best view of the sunset on the whole island. My husband grilled dinner both nights and I'll never forget eating those burgers watching the stars come out listening to the geckos chirp. The only potential issue would be the power going out at night and in the afternoon. But we never even noticed. When the powers out you're either sleeping or swimming or kayaking. We loved our stay here and would definitely come again.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2019
Verified review
10/10 Excellent
Matt A.
16 May 2019
Best VRBO Ever!
I'll start by saying that I've stayed in quite a few really great VRBO and AirBnB properties. The experience we had on Marco's Motu was easily the best experience we have had. First, Marco and Tatiana are the most gracious hosts...right there when you need them, but no where to be found when you want your space. They have created a very unique and beautiful home in the most stunning setting in the world...and then invited "us" to share it with them. We found that most of the tour boats that do day excursions bring their tours to the channel between the two Motus. You are literally staying at the place where everyone wants to go. A couple tips... The restaurant at Coco beach is a must, and you can walk down the motu and swim across the channel, or take one of the kayaks and be there in ten minutes. Keep in mind you have to be back to the house by 6pm, so we ate larger lunches as our main meals and then did more snack foods (baguettes with cheese and French wine) for dinner back at the house. It was perfect. We also brought a USB powered fan and powered it with a relatively small rechargeable USB battery pack and it lasted all night. This was great for keeping it comfortable after the power goes out at 11:30pm. It really was a remarkable experience and we are already planning on when we can get back to this beautiful spot!