Taputapuatea Marae
Taputapuātea
Polynesia's most sacred ceremonial site, inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2017 and regarded as the starting point of the seafaring civilization of the Polynesian Triangle.
Located at Point Matairea on the southeast coast of Raiatea Island, Taputapuātea is made up of several marae platforms built from basalt and coral stone. The main platform is about 40 meters long and faces a sacred passage across the lagoon called Tiavaʻi. Legend holds that ancient navigators departed from here for Hawaii, New Zealand, and Easter Island. The site is open to the public for free in the open air, and bilingual French and English interpretive panels are on site. It is recommended to join a local cultural guide to learn about the rituals and seafaring traditions. It is about 35 km from Uturoa and must be reached by car or tour bus. The stone platforms are sacred, so please do not climb on them.
Opening hours
All day (open-air)
Nearby sights
- Faaroa River
- Mount Temehani
- Uturoa Municipal Market
- Uturoa
- Mount Tapioi
- Marae Tainuu
- Raiatea Sailing Base (Marina Apooiti & Uturoa)
- Champon Pearl Farm