Kukuriaz Fare

Tucked behind the sand at Pointe Matira, Bora Bora's most-photographed stretch of beach, Kukuriaz Fare is a self-catering house with its own kitchen and garden rather than a resort-style room. The point itself is a five-minute walk, past mostly private overwater villas that keep the shoreline quiet after sunset.

The kitchen and dining table make this a base for guests provisioning from Vaitape's market rather than eating at hotel restaurants, and the washing machine suits stays longer than a few nights. A sofa bed adds capacity for a third or fourth traveller.

Matira's public beach access remains free and open, a rarity on an island where most lagoon frontage sits behind resort gates.