Raiatea Island Guide

Raiatea, once called Havai’i, is revered as the ancestral homeland from which Polynesian navigators set out across the Pacific. Its great marae at Taputapuātea was a religious and political center for much of Polynesia, and UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage site in 2017.

The island is the second largest in the Society group after Tahiti and shares its lagoon with Taha’a. Uturoa, the main town, has the airport, shops and marinas. Raiatea is green and mountainous with few beaches on the main island; the white sand is out on the motu.

Raiatea is an island for doing rather than lounging, with history, rivers, mountains and some of French Polynesia’s best sailing waters.

Raiatea is low-key: a handful of hotels, family-run pensions on the coast and on motu, and vacation rentals. Many visitors use it as a base for two or three nights, or sleep aboard a charter yacht for a week, since several major charter companies keep fleets here.

For a full luxury-resort experience, stay across the lagoon on Taha’a and visit Raiatea by boat. Either way, book Taputapuātea and Temehani outings with a licensed local guide.

May to October brings drier weather and steady trade winds, the favorite season for sailing and hiking. November to April is warmer and wetter, with lighter winds and occasional squalls. The Hawaiki Nui Va’a outrigger race passes through Raiatea each year, typically in late October or early November. See our best time to visit guide.

Raiatea and Taha’a pair naturally because they share one lagoon. Huahine and Bora Bora are short Air Tahiti hops away, making Raiatea a hub for a Leeward Islands loop. Sailors often spend a week cruising between all four. Our island-hopping guide has sample routes.