Raiatea & Taha'a

Polynesia's sacred island and the vanilla island that shares its lagoon, with a World Heritage marae, drift snorkelling in the coral garden and a base for sailing trips.

Raiatea and Taha'a lie in the middle of French Polynesia's Leeward Islands. The two islands are encircled by a single coral reef and share one lagoon, about 220 km from Tahiti, or around 45 minutes by plane. Raiatea is the "Sacred Island": Taputapuātea Marae in the southeast is considered the birthplace of Polynesian voyaging culture and was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2017. The island also has the navigable Faaroa River and the tiare apetahi flower, which grows only on Mount Temehani. Taha'a is known as the "Vanilla Island", where vanilla plantations, black pearl farms, a rum distillery and drift snorkelling in the coral garden make up a classic day trip. There are few big resorts, and the pace is quieter than on Bora Bora. Uturoa is the administrative centre and supply stop, and also the region's largest yacht charter base. The dry season from May to Oct is cool with little rain and steady trade winds — ideal for sailing and hiking; Nov–Apr is hot, humid and rainy, with occasional tropical cyclones. Getting there: take a domestic flight from Papeete to Raiatea Airport, or the ferry; to reach Taha'a, transfer to a shuttle boat in Uturoa or join a day tour that includes transfers. Plan 3–4 days: one day touring Raiatea for the marae and the Faaroa River, one for a 4WD tour and snorkelling on Taha'a, and the rest for hiking or getting out on the water; a yacht charter usually takes at least a week. There is almost no public transport, so hire a car or join a tour; most shops close on Sundays, so arrange cash and fuel in advance.

Top sights

• Taputapuatea Marae – Polynesia's most sacred ceremonial site, inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2017 and regarded as the starting point of the seafaring civ…
• Taha'a Coral Garden – A shallow channel between two small islands. As you drift with the current, you can see extensive coral reefs and schools of tropical fish…
• Uturoa – The administrative center and second-largest town of the Leeward Islands, with the port, shops, and restaurants. It is the base for explori…
• Uturoa Municipal Market – A municipal market beside the port, selling tropical fruit, fresh fish, flower garlands, and handicrafts. It is a good place to experience…
• Mount Tapioi – A small hill behind Uturoa at about 290 meters, offering views over the lagoon and Tahaa and distant Bora Bora.
• Faaroa River – The only navigable river in French Polynesia. Take a boat or paddle a kayak deep into tropical rainforest and mango groves.
• Mount Temehani – The sacred mountain plateau of Raiatea, the only place in the world where the rare Tiare Apetahi flower grows wild.
• Marae Tainuu – An ancient ceremonial site in the village of Tevaitoa on the west coast, with rock carvings of sea turtles on stones, and a Protestant chur…
• Taha'a Vanilla Plantation – Tahaa is known as the 'Vanilla Island'. At the plantations, you can watch vanilla pods being hand-pollinated, dried, and fermented.
• Champon Pearl Farm – A family-run black pearl farm on the south coast of Tahaa's Apooiti Bay, where you can watch pearl grafting and oyster harvesting demonstra…
• Domaine Pari Pari – A small agricultural rum distillery on Tahaa's west coast that makes rum from locally grown sugarcane, with tours and tastings of rum and v…
• Haamene Bay – A deep, fjord-like bay cutting into the middle of Tahaa, framed by green mountains. It serves as a sailing anchorage and is the highlight o…
• Raiatea Sailing Base (Marina Apooiti & Uturoa) – The largest sailing charter base in French Polynesia, where you can rent catamarans to sail to Tahaa, Huahine and Bora Bora.

Where to eat

• Villa Ixora – A restaurant inside a small hotel on the southern outskirts of Uturoa, rated 4.8 on TripAdvisor and ranked first in Utu…
• Fish and Blue Beach – A private-beach restaurant and tapas bar on Raiatea's west coast, famous for sunsets over Bora Bora and for its cocktai…
• Tahaa Maitai – A French restaurant by the bay in Haamene on Taha'a, ranked first on TripAdvisor for the island. It uses herbs grown by…

Itineraries

• Leeward Islands Ferry Island-Hopping – Use passenger ferries to hop through Huahine, Raiatea, Taha'a, and Bora Bora.
• Raiatea Sailing Charter – Set sail from the charter base for an 8-night cruise exploring Taha'a, Bora Bora, and Huahine.