Raiatea

Raiatea was Havai'i, the name Polynesians carried with them across the ocean, and it was the religious and political centre of the Society Islands before Tahiti overtook it: canoes setting out to settle New Zealand and Hawaii are held in tradition to have departed from here. The marae complex at Taputapuātea on its southeastern shore is inscribed by UNESCO. The Faaroa is the only navigable river in French Polynesia, and Mount Temehani rises behind.

Background

Among the Society Islands only Tahiti is larger than Ra'iātea, which covers 167.7 square kilometres, rises to 1,017 metres and has a population of 12,545. In Tahitian the name means bright sky. Uturoa, the main town, is the administrative centre of the Leeward Islands, and its colleges take secondary pupils from Bora Bora, Tahaa, Huahine and Maupiti. The Taputapuatea marae was in place by 1000 CE and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2017. The navigator Tupaia, born on the island around 1725, sailed with James Cook, who called here in 1769 and again in 1773-1774. In 1976 the Hawaiian canoe Hōkūle'a made landfall here on its first voyage.

Source: Wikipedia, "Raʻiātea"

What to look for

• Taputapuatea - the UNESCO-inscribed marae complex on the southeastern shore.
• The Havai'i tradition - the island as the origin point of Polynesian voyaging.
• The Faaroa river - the only navigable river in the territory.
• The shared lagoon - the reef Raiatea and Tahaa sit inside together.

When to go

May to October is the dry season. The Hawaiki Nui canoe race passes in November. Cyclone season runs November to April.

Before you go

The island has few beaches of its own; the sand is on the motu offshore. It is quieter and less developed than Bora Bora, which is either the point or the drawback. Interpretation at the historic sites is limited.

Nearby

Taputapuatea is on the southeastern coast, and Tahaa is north.

Key facts