Facts and figures about Raiatea:

• Number of inhabitants: 12 024
• Surface area: 167,7 km²

3 reasons to visit Raiatea:

• See the tiare apetahi for real
• Cruising down the Faaroa river
• Visit the Taputapuatea marae

Time for your daily quiz… Just a little hint before we get started: “known for its endemic flower.”
“Top! Volcanic island of the Raromatai islands, my highest peak, Mount Tefatoaiti, is about 1,017m high, a 4-hour boat crossing from Papeete with the Apetahi Express, I am said to be the cradle of Maohi culture. Who am I? You got it, yes you do, it is the island of Raiatea.”

A must-see of the Society Archipelago, it is the biggest of the Leeward Islands and one of the most populated. It shares with Taha’a, its roommate, a lagoon, a history, and a big part of Polynesian culture. Besides, rarely do we mention one without evoking the other — the duo works pretty well together.

A major economic pole, it is a land of contrasts. Get on a bike and ride for about 30 minutes, you will see verdant hills unwinding and opening into an industrial area, which will eventually lead you to downtown Uturoa.

But if its inhabitants are so proud to claim where they come from, it is specifically because Raiatea happens to be right in the middle of the Polynesian triangle. That’s the very pulse of the fe’e (octopus). It is precisely there that the first traditional outrigger canoes set sail to reach Hawaii, Aotearoa, and Rapa Nui.

Formerly called Havai’i, Raiatea remains “the sacred island” for everyone. It embodies the beginning of our history and turns out to be an inexhaustible source of knowledge you might be keen on exploring.
But if you were more into playing hooky to chill at the snack across the street, please note that Raiatea is also the perfect farniente spot.

Visit the Uturoa market

Let’s face it, the Uturoa market is nothing like that of Papeete, but you will be glad to drink a refreshing lemonade early in the morning as you amble along the stands. Uru, fe’i, taro, pomelos, papayas, avocados — if you are into fruits and have quite a bit of time ahead of you, this is the perfect place. Have you seen the size of this paihere…?
‘Ia Ora na bursting out from everywhere, warm smiles, the heady scent of flowers, the variegated stalls… Hard to encapsulate this atmosphere in a paragraph; the best is probably to impregnate these memories in your mind. That’s a bit of a digression but still an important detail: the Léo Gite shop opens at dawn, and something tells us the stroll is even more pleasant when nibbling a piece of warm coconut bread…

Go for an island tour

Fasten your seatbelt! Now that everyone is here, nothing like a good old ride to get acquainted with a new setting. The further one goes into the lands, the more it looks like a Jurassic Park scene. As one goes past the Hotopu bay, it is really hard to tell whether it is the blue of the lagoon which highlights the green shades of the mountain or vice versa.

Visit the Taputapuatea marae

If you ever come as a tourist, the second thing you should do — after visiting the market — is to go straight to the Taputapuatea marae, which is, unquestionably, the most famous of the island, if not of all Polynesia. Legend has it that the very first navigators who settled in the triangle took a rock of this marae with them to erect a brand new one once they arrived at their destination. Dedicated to the god Oro, the site arouses the curiosity of thousands of travelers seeking introspection and willing to go back to the root of our history. If it used to be a place of gathering for investitures and political meetings, it is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Go for a horse ride at Cadichon Vallée

What did you plan for the next three hours? Put on this riding cap and get into the saddle; time for an equestrian tour in Taputapuatea! Now that you have found your faithful steed, you just have to ride at a trotting pace in the mountain as you are told about the various legends related to the island. Whether you are a novice or a confirmed rider, this tour is all about creating long-lasting memories. You will have plenty of time to gaze at the breathtaking views before heading straight to the lagoon and putting your horse into a gallop…

The botanical garden

Green wedge: science and nature. We haven’t created the local version of Trivial Pursuit yet, but if you are eager to deepen your knowledge and shine bright during parties, you should definitely stop by the botanical garden, located at PK14.5. Open from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, it offers a nice promenade and the opportunity to picnic if you feel like it.

Kayaking down the Fa’aroa river

Who said life was like a long quiet river? Probably a Raromatai… You may not know it, but just behind the gendarmerie station, in the bay hollow, is the one and only navigable river of French Polynesia. So you’d better choose your partner well and work on your synchronization because the idea is to paddle up the river in a double kayak.
Risk of running aground on a coral reef: extremely low. Just enjoy the moment and take a look at the view as your guide tells you a bit more about the local biodiversity.

Have lunch at the Villa Ixora

The Villa Ixora is an unpretentious guesthouse located in the Tepua Bay and, paradoxically, one of the most renowned restaurants in Raiatea, prized by both tourists and locals. Semi-cooked tuna, catch of the day with its lemon butter sauce, truffle risotto: seasonal local products are enhanced by the Mediterranean influences of the chef. But if you want to get a taste, book a table a few days prior to arriving…

A lagoon tour

Some might say we are cheating a bit since we have gone beyond the scope of the topic and are slightly overlapping with Taha’a’s island guide, but technically, we are respecting the set theme… A snorkeling session in one of the most colorful coral gardens of French Polynesia, a delicious ma’a Tahiti lost in the middle of nowhere, on an islet, a detour by the pearl farm followed by a visit to both a vanilla farm and a rum distillery, is it really time to nitpick?

Search for the tiare apetahi on Mount Temehani

Raiatea can hardly compete with Bora Bora or the Tuamotu archipelago when it comes to white-sand beaches; that’s why it chose to focus on its luxuriant vegetation. After all these horse rides, beach bike promenades, and 4WD tours, the next thing you should take up is the gauntlet of hiking all the way to the summit of Mount Temehani. If you are searching for another source of motivation before walking for about 4 hours — spoiler alert — the three waterfalls of Hamoa make a great refreshing break and the vista over there offers an astounding panoramic view. And, 5 bonus points for originality, the Temehani plateau holds an endemic species that grows on this very place only and has now become the emblem of Raiatea. With its five petals displayed in a half-corolla, it looks like a tiny hand…

Splash into the seawater pool

Who got the keys of the locker? The municipal pool of Uturoa is — how can we say? — atypical. Now it just comes down to a rusty metal ladder and a direct access to the lagoon. Yep, a few years ago, the wall collapsed, and now the pool and the ocean are but one… If we look at it on the bright side, we no longer have to go through the pool foot bath step or wear a swimming cap.

Scuba diving

Raiatea would never dare to compete with Fakarava’s great wall of sharks, but the Te Ava Piti pass is not bad itself. But if you feel like staying in the lagoon, take a bottle of Nitrox and go explore the wreck of the Nordby, a Danish three-masted ship that sank during the 1900 crossing from Auckland to Liverpool.

Go on a catamaran cruise

Judging by the number of sailboats, poti marara, catamarans, and yachts berthing in the marina, it looks like Raiatea knows how to speak to amateur yachtsmen. And the least one can say is that it has quite a few selling points: a great geographical location, a nice turquoise lagoon, and optimal sailing conditions. If you have 3 or 4 days to kill, the all-inclusive private cabin is a good alternative to mainland.

Have dinner at the Raiatea Lodge

The cherry on top: it is nonsense to come to Raiatea and not stop by the Raiatea Lodge. Whether you spent a whole day at sea, went for a bike ride, a walk, or an epic horse ride, you will be more than delighted to sit at a table in a quiet tropical garden with a mahi mahi steak, some coconut rice, and an unctuous chorizo sauce.

Frequently asked questions