Description

Mt Rotui on Moorea stands proudly next to Opunohu Bay, presiding over dense rainforest and fields of pineapple in the valley at its foot. Shadows on the flanks, cast by overhead clouds, add to the exotic and mysterious quality of this picturesque peak. When Moorea’s once massive central volcano exploded thousands of years ago, it blew sideways in two places, creating Moorea’s two long, thin bays on its north shore but leaving Mt Rotui standing between then. As such, all of Moorea’s mountains are actually just the remaining sides of what was once a far bigger peak, which likely rivaled Haleakala or Mauna Loa in the Hawaiian Islands in terms of height and mass. This view is found at Belvedere Overlook.