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 The ancient cultural, religious and royal heart of Polynesia, Raiatea was, according to legend, the birthplace of the gods. From here the great canoes set out for Hawaii and New Zealand, entire tribes sailing off to colonize new shores. Long ago the people called the island Havai'i ("the homeland") and believed it was the place where spirits live on after death. And it is only here, on the slopes of sacred Mount Temehani, that one can glimpse the rare tiare apetahi, a flower found nowhere else on earth.
Tahaa is so named for its numerous plantations of this fragrant plant, whose sweet aroma lingers in the air, seeping into every nook and cranny of the island. While fishing and farming are its main livelihoods, what seduces visitors are its pretty beaches, coral gardens, and the sandy motu which pepper the lagoon it shares with Raiatea.
Raiatea is the second largest island in French Polynesia, situated 193 km. (120 miles) north-west of Tahiti. The population numbers 10063 and Uturoa, the principal village, is the Administrative Centre for the Leeward Society Islands.
The two sister islands of Raiatea and Taaha, separated by a narrow strait, but surrounded by a common barrier reef, lies over 18 miles to the west of Huahine. The town of Uturoa serves as the administrative center of the leeward Islands, the so called lles sous le Vent. The landscape is very similar to the other Society Islands, so the visitor can expect the usual elaborate and thick vegetation the valleys with numerous plantations and waterfalls. Raiatea's highest mountain, Mount Toomaru, rises to 3302 feet, the highest peaks of the much smaller Taaha never cross the 1900-foot mark.
Raiatea also has a significant historical background. It was known as the holy home ground Hawaiki to the ancestors of today's Polynesians, and served as the peoples political and religious center of the archipelago.
The 60-mile coastal road that circumnavigates the island leads to a slew of historical sites. The Marae Taputapuatea near Opoa is one of the main attractions for the visitors with an eye for archeology; a complex with a stately ground surface of 137 by 25 feet. Even if all that's left is a pair of stone platforms on the beach, the place exudes a feeling of mysterious magic.
For the Polynesian Maohi, ancestor of today's Tahitians, Raiatea was known as Sacred Havai'i, and was the centre of royalty, religion, culture, history and heraldry.
A partially paved road circles the island, winding through fertile valleys and wide flatland, past farms and orchards. There are several passes through the lagoon, which also encompasses the neigh-boring island of Tahaa. Because of ideal sailing and fishing conditions, Raiatea offers year-round charters and nautical activities.
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