Perhaps no island captures the romance of a South Pacific paradise more than Bora-Bora, a tiny reef-encircled island of French Polynesia northwest of Tahiti. Just 18 kilometers (11 miles) in circumference, this beautiful island is perhaps best viewed from an aerial perspective, which underscores Bora-Bora’s dramatic relief as deep blue seas are kept at bay by the tiny island’s protective coral reef that encircles it entirely.