Raiatea, the original Polynesian island

The island of Raiatea is the last island in the Leeward Islands that I have not written about so far. I had to go back a third time in the summer of 2019 to finally have enough content to complete an article. A few things are still missing, simply because I have not yet had the opportunity to try every activity available during my visits, but I do think the essentials are here.

I must admit that Raiatea was not one of the Polynesian islands I felt most attached to in the Leeward Islands. I found it too big, too developed and, honestly, not quite as appealing at first. However, this last visit allowed me to appreciate it a little more and, after all, it is still a nice place to spend a few days without getting bored. Even so, it remains relatively less visited than other Leeward Islands such as Bora Bora (the Pearl of the Pacific), Huahine or Taha’a.

Here, I will share the essential things to see and do in Raiatea, more in the style of a travel journal. During your visit to Raiatea, you can enjoy its lush vegetation, turquoise lagoon (Polynesian waters are generally sublime) and a few white-sand beaches. As usual, I also give you all the practical information you need to prepare your trip at the end of the article.

I know the tropical island of Raiatea quite well now, as I have been there dozens of times. Before telling you more about the island’s must-sees below, I wanted to summarize, in a few words, the activities I personally recommend there. Obviously, not everything is listed here, but these are the activities I consider unmissable in Raiatea, French Polynesia.

While you are on the island of Raiatea, it is definitely worth considering a trip on the turquoise lagoon during your vacation. In general, tour operators do not offer a full tour around Raiatea, as the island is too big. Instead, they usually focus on the east coast of Raiatea and on the lagoon around Taha’a. Several companies offer this kind of tour, including Are Tours Raiatea Tahaa, Faaroa Cruise Excursion and Destination Lagon.

The island does not have the same diving reputation as the Tuamotu atolls, especially Rangiroa or Fakarava. However, some dive sites are well known, and it is still a great way to explore marine life and coral reefs, even if you are a beginner diver. There are two scuba diving clubs to choose from for your dives, both with an excellent reputation on Raiatea: Hemisphère Sub and Te Mara Nui Plongée. Scuba diving is definitely one of the things to do in Raiatea.

You can also take a 4×4 tour of the Polynesian island to discover its wilder side, especially with Trucky Tour or Raiatea 4×4. It is one of the classic land-based activities to do in Raiatea.

Here is a quick round-up of things to see and do on Raiatea. These are just a few of the highlights:

• Raiatea island tour
• Visit the Taputapuatea marae
• Discover the beauties of the lagoon
• Kayak up the Faaroa River
• Hike the island’s trails

The capital of Raiatea, Uturoa, is of somewhat limited interest. It is the main town and where most of the activity is located: bars, restaurants, bakeries, various shops, the market, etc. You will probably stop here to stock up on food at the local “Champion”, or to have a quick drink “in town”. If you are staying in the south of the island, it is still much better to do your food shopping here.

I don’t really recommend spending too much time there, but you can still go and have a quick look at the different murals in town and on the way out. The street art festival “Ono’u” has also left its mark on Tahiti and Raiatea, with artists coming to express themselves in different spots around town.

If you look toward the mountain side, you will see a rocky summit: Mount Tapioi. Rising to 294 m, it is a fairly easy walk on a well-maintained path. The land is private, so you have to park your car at the beginning of the path, just before the barrier. The entrance is next to the police station in Uturoa. You can check the Wikiloc page for the exact route, but it is hard to get lost anyway. Allow around 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on your walking pace. From the top, you get a beautiful view of the neighboring island of Taha’a, and even Bora Bora in the background. I went up there in the late afternoon, but the weather was not ideal for sunset. In my opinion, photographers should avoid the morning, because the sun will be right in front of you. Be careful to check that the path is open before going, as access has sometimes been closed in the past.

Uturoa is also the departure point for many of the island’s main activities. If you plan to dive or go on an excursion on the lagoon of Taha’a and Raiatea, departures will often be from here. For those who want to kayak up the well-known Faaroa River, farther south, you can ask Gwen at the marina, with Raiatea Activities. I had the opportunity to do this excursion and it was really amazing. I recommend it 100% if you are visiting the island. I’ll tell you more about it below.

I then advise you to follow the east coast and stop at PK 6 (you will notice the markers along the road), where the short Three Waterfalls hike begins. Access to the hike is via a dirt road that is easy to drive, even with a small rental car. The whole path is shaded and goes through a forest of ferns and mape trees, also known as Tahitian chestnut trees. In fact, you will find mape sellers along the road selling the fruit cooked and prepared. It is quite nice to taste. I honestly enjoyed walking through the undergrowth. It is certainly very humid and hot, but the atmosphere is calm and restful, and photographers will appreciate the details of the wild flora. The path gives access to a series of three waterfalls. You can even swim in some of them! The walk takes around an hour. The route on Wikiloc can be found here.

Continuing on your way, you can now stop at PK 14.5 at the Faaroa Botanical Garden, which reopened a little while ago. It is a nice little walk, accessible to everyone, open every day (7 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and free! During my last visit in September 2020, I had the opportunity to stop there for an hour with my family. The walk was very pleasant and actually quite nice to do. You can even eat there, as there are picnic tables. The trail ends at the Faaroa River, which you can paddle up in a canoe-kayak. At the end, there is a very nice view of the river.

If you continue south, I really think there is one thing you should not miss on the island: the kayak trip up the Faaroa River, which starts around PK 19. If you are staying far from Uturoa, you can check with Gwen whether it is possible to meet directly at the starting point of the excursion. If you are staying near Uturoa, a minibus can take you from town to the site. The excursion starts behind the Faaroa police station, almost at the end of the bay. After a few quick explanations about the itinerary, the other travelers and I get into the two-seater kayaks. I must admit that I let the guide do most of the work so I can enjoy the scene and take lots of pictures. The weather was very good and I really enjoyed myself. We paddle about 2 km upstream, and the calm atmosphere is just great. Everyone appreciates the guide’s explanations about the local fauna and flora along the river. In my opinion, this is indeed the nicest thing to do in Raiatea!

Thanks to Sophie, who lives there, I learned that two trails had recently opened on the island of Raiatea. The first one, the Gabbros Walk (“la promenade des gabbros” in French), starts at PK 2 of the cross-island road, in the south of the island. You can discover these geological curiosities along a path of around 150 m. I also visited this small, recently opened site in September 2020. It is a very short walk, but worth a stop if you are on vacation on the island. A small staircase gives access to the site, nothing complicated, I can assure you. On site, explanatory panels tell you more about these geological formations. You can also enjoy a few viewpoints with superb views of the surroundings.

Farther on, at the Faaroa Belvedere (still on the cross-island road in the south), you can follow the famous Macaranga ridge trail (the macaranga is an endemic tree found on Raiatea and Moorea). I haven’t been there yet, but Sophie recommends allowing no more than about an hour if you take your time. It is a small trail, with several steep sections secured by ropes. It can be quite tricky with small children. I really recommend good shoes and, above all, avoiding the trail after heavy rain. It was in very good condition when it first opened, as it was still very recent, and I hope it will be well maintained. I have to go back to Raiatea soon, so I’ll go and take pictures of it!

As you continue toward the south of the island, houses and villages become less and less common. The south of Raiatea is quieter. One day, at the end of the afternoon, I met Alain Abel, the local manager of Tahiti Vanille, a vanilla processing company. Alain agreed to show me where he was working at the time, while waiting for the final touches to be completed on his future vanilla dryer. Based on Raiatea for more than 20 years, he is in charge of buying vanilla from local producers, but also from other islands. I plan to write a complete article on vanilla production and processing with his collaboration the next time I visit Raiatea. To put it simply, vanilla is bought fresh from local producers and then dried several times in the sun, in the open air, following a specific process. It is then sorted, graded and sold to some of the finest French restaurants. Alain even received a gold medal at the “Concours Général Agricole” in 2019, after a gold medal at the 1001 tasting competition.

We have just published a full article based on an interview with Loïc from Tahiti Vanille. You will learn a lot about the vanilla grown here in Tahiti.

You can also continue your tour of Raiatea by visiting the renowned Marae of Taputapuātea, near PK 30. The island is becoming more and more known for it, especially since the site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2017. This cultural site attracts curious visitors interested in old stones, culture and history. The marae bear witness to pre-European Polynesian civilization in all its richness. They were cultural, social and political sites of ancient Polynesian society. The site is nice to walk around for about 30 minutes, but you should not expect anything extraordinary “visually” speaking. There are several old stone structures to see. Please note that entrance is free. There is also a small white-sand beach with turquoise water right next to the marae, which is very nice for swimming. I mention it because there are very few beaches on the island… There is apparently also a trail that was created in 2019, 200 m before the marae, on the mountain side! (Thanks Fanny).

Once you have passed the southern point, I must say that there are not many things to do or see in the southwest and west. On the other hand, if you love photography, I really recommend driving up the west coast between 4 and 5 p.m. to enjoy the beautiful light on the lagoon and the sunset over Bora Bora. Apart from that, there is not much to do on the west coast itself.

For walking enthusiasts, there are two locally known hikes that are really worthwhile: Mount Temehani (821 m) and Mount Orotaio (479 m). I didn’t have time to do either one, but for those spending a few days on the island, they are definitely worth considering if the weather is nice. It is really not recommended to hike just after a rainy day, or during one, as the paths can be too slippery. You can check Wikiloc for a more detailed look.

Among the other activities to do on Raiatea, many of you will take advantage of being there to go on a boat trip around Taha’a’s lagoon. I didn’t do it personally, but I have heard only good things about spending a day on the lagoon. You can also take advantage of your time on the island to visit the two public motu of Raiatea: Motu Ofetaro, also known as the “town motu” because it is close to Uturoa, and Motu Iriru, in front of Faaroa Bay, a communal public motu that depends on Taputapuatea, where you can camp with permission from the town hall. Both motu are accessible with providers offering transfers during the day, usually with a departure around 9 a.m. and a return around 4 p.m. You need to bring your own food and drinks. On the motu, there are fare pote’e (in case it rains), tables, benches, showers and toilets! I know that Faaroa Cruise Raiatea offers an excursion to Motu Tefaro, for example (1,000 XPF round trip for adults, 500 XPF for children, free for children under 5, according to the information I had at the time). Other guesthouses such as Manava and Opeha also offer these transfers, even if you are not staying with them. It is a great way to spend a day at the beach, because Raiatea does not have many beaches, even if a white-sand beach has recently been developed in Tevaitoa, on the west coast, not far from the fire station.

I talk about it in our article about the Raiatea Lodge (see below), but in September 2020, we managed to go to Motu Iriru with Maxi TAPU Excursion for 1,000 XPF per adult and 500 XPF per child, round trip. It was really cheap. We were literally dazzled by the beauty of the motu, which is truly superb, with one side slightly more exposed and the other side calm on the lagoon side. The water is translucent and you can easily spend half a day there (which we did), or even a full day relaxing. On site, you have access to barbecue grills, toilets, etc. So it is great if you have the opportunity to do it.

Another possibility to consider is with Raiatea Activities (the same people I did the kayak trip with), for a short paddle session, sailing or windsurfing on the lagoon. Another option, which I have not yet tried, is diving to discover the underwater world.

Before arriving in Raiatea, you will first have to fly to Tahiti, Papeete. To find the cheapest flights to Tahiti, I recommend this great flight comparator that I have been using for at least 10 years now. I find it very easy to use and have often found good cheap flights there.

For Americans, one of the cheapest solutions is often to book a flight from San Francisco to Papeete with French Bee or United Airlines. Other airlines also exist, such as Air France and Air Tahiti Nui, but they are usually more expensive. From Canada, the cheapest option is often to catch a flight from a large Canadian city to SFO and then from SFO to Papeete.

Like for most of the other islands, and like the majority of travelers, you will probably get to Raiatea by plane. It is the easiest and quickest way, but not always the cheapest. The classic option is to fly with Air Tahiti from Tahiti to Raiatea, either with a simple return ticket or with one of the company’s multi-island passes if you plan to visit several islands in the Leeward Islands. Air Tahiti currently displays return fares to Raiatea from Tahiti from around 31,900 XPF, depending on dates and conditions.

There is now also another airline to compare: Air Moana. It operates regular inter-island flights, including Raiatea on routes from Tahiti and Bora Bora. If you are buying a simple one-way or return ticket, it is clearly worth comparing Air Tahiti and Air Moana before booking.

If you prefer, you can also reach Raiatea by boat. The easiest options today are the ferries serving the Leeward Islands, especially the Apetahi Express and the Vaeara’i.

With the Apetahi Express, current public fares are simple to understand: 7,000 XPF one way and 14,000 XPF return for adults and children, whether you travel between Tahiti and the Leeward Islands or between the Leeward Islands themselves. There is also the Tuatea Pass, which can be interesting if you want to travel a lot by boat, as it offers unlimited travel for 30 days between Tahiti, Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, Taha’a, Bora Bora and Maupiti for 24,000 XPF.

Vaeara’i is another useful option, especially if you want to travel with your own car. The ferry serves the Leeward Islands mainly on weekends, usually two to three times per month. To give you an idea, current adult fares from Tahiti are around 8,000 XPF one way and 14,000 XPF return to Raiatea. Between Raiatea and Taha’a, the adult fare is much lower, around 1,660 XPF. As always in French Polynesia, check the latest schedules and fares before planning your itinerary.

Another option, more local and less practical for a classic trip, is to take a cargo ship such as the Hawaiki Nui. It can be very cheap, but it is also much harder to organize, with very limited passenger places and booking conditions that are not always simple. I have tried it several times, but believe me when I tell you it is not easy. I would only consider it if you have time, flexibility and a good reason to travel this way.

There are also shuttle services between Raiatea and Taha’a, such as Tahaa Transport Rapide (TTR), which links the two islands several times a day, as well as Etona Transport Maritime (Navette ETM). The Maupiti Express may also operate on some local links between Taha’a, Bora Bora and Raiatea, but always check the current schedules before relying on it.

Another possibility for those who have the means and wish to consider this type of trip: cruises on the Paul Gauguin or on other large liners are possible to visit this small tropical paradise.

I was about to forget one last possibility that can be considered anyway, which is to go on a catamaran for a week’s cruise to the Leeward Islands. I’ve never done this archipelago by boat but after spending a week on a catamaran in the Tuamotu atolls (Rangiroa – Fakarava – Apataki – Arutua – Toau), I can only advise you to try the experience if you like sailing. If you’re looking for someone serious about sailing from Tahiti, don’t hesitate to contact me, I’ll give you the tips, and I can get you good prices!

The island is clearly too big to consider getting around only on foot. Even by scooter, I wouldn’t really recommend it. Personally, I often book my car rentals through this comparator. Don’t hesitate to take a look. You can also check Moana Rent a Car, Raiatea Location or Raiatea Rent a Car.

Recently, I discovered that there is also an electric bike rental on the island. It is indeed a great way to discover the island in a quieter, more eco-friendly way, and more in tune with the rhythm of the island…

Hitchhiking, as on all the islands, should work pretty well for those who want to try. Just note that in the south of the island and along the west coast, there are not exactly crowds of cars…

On the island of Raiatea, you have a good choice of places to stay. There is something for every budget! Here are some serious recommendations (there are others):

Camping (and guesthouses)

You can pitch your tent (or stay in a guesthouse) at Sunset Beach Motel, Pension Te Maeva or LTB Fenua Camping.

Guesthouses

There are many guesthouses around the island. To name but a few:

• Pension les 3 cascades: located near the Three Waterfalls, this guesthouse offers different types of accommodation, including rooms for 2 and farés for 3 to 5 people, with a kitchen, washing machine and other facilities. You can also enjoy the warm welcome from Bruno and Patrice, the owners, as well as free services such as bicycles and Wi-Fi!
• Le-Neliza Beach Lodge Raiatea: this is a lovely place in Opoa and offers a pleasant experience with a spacious chalet, sea views, a terrace, a comfortable bedroom and a beautiful bathroom. Amenities include Wi-Fi and air conditioning, and there is a private beach with kayaks and bicycles. Don’t hesitate to tell Suzy you came from us! Here is our full review of the place!
• Villa Tonoi: rated 3 tiares, this property offers panoramic views over the lagoon and the island of Huahine. With five comfortable, fully equipped bungalows, a panoramic swimming pool and breakfast included, the place offers privacy, comfort and relaxation. Feedback often highlights the spectacular views and warm welcome.

More upmarket

• Opoa Beach Hotel: a beautiful property, often the most recommended on the island!
• Raiatea Lodge: we spent 3 nights here, in a magical setting, recently refurbished and with excellent food. For me, the benchmark for Raiatea.
• Hotel Atiapiti: I also stopped here for a late-afternoon drink. The setting is also first class, and it is perfect for cooling off after a visit to the Taputapuatea Marae, which is not far away. The waterfront bungalows looked great and I have heard nothing but good things about the place.

Since then, we’ve had a full article with a list of our recommendations for accommodation in Raiatea.

For a drink at the end of the afternoon with the sunset over Bora Bora, I was advised to go to Fish & Blue, just after Raiatea Lodge on the west coast. For a very nice Polynesian meal, which I have personally tested, Alain advised me to try Villa Ixora (you can also sleep there).

For those looking for more economical accommodation in Raiatea, I suggest you take a closer look at these 2 addresses: the Faré Mahi Mahi or the Pension Tapuna.

That’s it, this is the end of the post on what to do and see on the island of Raiatea, located in the South Pacific. I hope you enjoyed the discovery! If you already know the Leeward Islands or traveled there, for example during your honeymoon, which islands have you preferred so far? Personally, my favorite is still Maupiti! I’m going to write a comparative summary article about the Leeward Islands, now that I’ve visited them all. The idea is to help you decide which islands to prioritize during your trip, because you can’t see everything in one stay in French Polynesia!

See you soon,

Sylvain

Written by Sylvain PONS

From 2015 to 2021, French Polynesia was our home, with Mélanie and our children. I'm happy to share my experience and advice to help you organize an unforgettable stay in French Polynesia, based on my in-depth knowledge of the territory.

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