Raivavae

Raivavae is a green ridge of an island lying inside a lagoon scattered with white sand motu, and it is regularly described as one of the most beautiful in the Pacific by people who have got there, which is not many: flights are few and there is almost no accommodation. The island holds stone tiki, several moved to Tahiti in the past, and marae sites along the coast. A road runs round the island and Mount Hiro rises down its centre.

History

The first European sighting was recorded by the Spanish naval officer Tomás Gayangos aboard the frigate El Aguila on 5 February 1775, returning to Peru after taking over the expedition of 1774 on the death of Domingo de Bonechea in Tahiti. On 6 February a boat went in and met the islanders at the water's edge without landing, and the Spaniards charted the island as Santa Rosa, noting its local name as Oraibaba; France annexed it in 1880 (Wikipedia, Raivavae).

What's there

• The lagoon motu - white sand islets scattered across the surrounding lagoon.
• The stone tiki - the carved figures surviving on the island.
• Mount Hiro - the ridge running down the island's spine.
• The coastal road - the route round the island through the villages.

When to go

May to October is the dry season. The Australs are cooler than Tahiti and can be windy. Flights are infrequent and easily disrupted.

Good to know

Flights are few and accommodation is a handful of pensions. There is essentially nothing laid on for visitors. Several of the island's tiki were removed to Tahiti long ago.

Nearby

Tubuai is west, and Tahiti is northwest.

Key facts