With a population of 2,000 people, Rangiroa is too small to sustain a club scene. Many visitors come here to escape the big-city bustle of Tahiti and neighboring isles.

The hotels on Rangiroa do a good job of keeping their guests well-fed. In fact, the vast majority of the lodges here include meals as part of their accommodations. Because of this, Rangiroa’s dining scene is modest.

Restaurants & Grills

Visitors who venture outside the cozy confines of their hotels will find several budget snack shops and moderately-priced grills. The exception to this rule is Kia Ora Village, Rangiroa’s premiere chow house. It offers superb seafood, espresso and a romantic waterfront ambiance.

Groceries

A few modest markets on Rangiroa stock basic staples. Visitors desiring anything other than simple pantry fare like instant coffee, milk or cookies, might want to consider shopping on the larger islands before coming to Rangiroa.

Places to visit

Rangiroa is not an island, but an atoll — a necklace of coral encircling a crystal clear lagoon. It is the second largest atoll in the world — so large, in fact, that if you stand on one side you cannot see the other.

Rangiroa is a land of picture-postcard beauty, and its modest size and small town ambiance makes sightseeing easy, simple and fun.

Avatoru & Tiputa

The majority of Rangiroa’s residents live in these two villages. Located on the western end of a string of connected islands, Avatoru is where you’ll find most of the island’s businesses, hotels, shops and banks. Rangiroa’s airport is also located here.

Tiputa is a 45-minute boatride from Avatoru. Though both communities boast a similar number of government agencies, Tiputa is the main administrative community, with an infirmary, post office and town hall.

There are a number of small islets within Rangiroa’s lagoon that are important bird sanctuaries. The most popular of these islands is Paio, which is easily accessed by boat.

Land Activities

The rugged terrain of Rangiroa makes hiking and other land activities especially tempting for adventuresome visitors.

Hiking

Spectacular vistas, rushing waterfalls and fascinating archeological sites are just some of the rewards to be reaped during a hike through Rangiroa. The terrain here is relatively coarse and undeveloped, making for the perfect back-to-nature experience. Guided tours are also available.

Horseback Riding

Horseback riding is a splendid way to get around the islands, and guided tours can be arranged through your hotel or guesthouse

Water Activities

Beaches

Rangiroa boasts such an abundance of white sand, the atoll can be described as one big beach. That said, Rangiroa does have its share of officially-designated beach areas. Blue Lagoon Motu is perhaps the most popular of the beaches here. Tiputa Point has a wonderful vista point that doubles as a picnic area, while L’ile Aux Recifs is noted for its fossilized coral formations.

Diving

Rangiroa is world-renowned for its excellent diving sites. A variety of large species swim these waters, including black-tip sharks, gray sharks, white-tip reef sharks and giant manta rays. Dive operators in town offer instruction and lead dives into the lagoon, the passes and open sea. Night dives are also possible.

Fishing

The waters off Rangiroa are especially rich in mahimahi and marlin. Cast your line and make a catch.

Parasailing

Parasailing is offered through Rangiroa Parasail. No training is required. Parasail flight with boat excursion to Blue Lagoon or to reef island can be arranged.

Snorkeling

Rangiroa’s lagoon carries an astounding assortment of marine life, which makes it a prime spot for snorkeling. L’Ile aux Recifs Beach, Papiro Point and the Mahuta area are all known for their superb snorkeling. However, you don’t have to go anywhere in particular to snorkel on the atoll of Rangiroa. Just grab your mask and fins, walk out the front door of your hotel or pension, and jump in!

Nighttime on Raiatea and Tahaa is a spirited mix of dancing frolic and romance.

At the Zenith, clubgoers shimmy to the rhythms of disco music. A similarly rollicking scene can be enjoyed Friday and Saturday nights at Quai des Pecheurs. During the week the club makes the ideal place for an early evening cocktail.

Meanwhile, at the comparatively subdued Clubhouse, patrons sip tropical drinks and watch the sailboats come in. The quaint Chez Marie France offers a daily happy hour.

If delicious food at affordable prices sounds like an offer you can’t refuse, then you’ll love dining in Raiatea/Tahaa.

Restaurants

There are a profusion of budget- to moderately-priced eateries offering everything from indigenous Polynesian cuisine, to traditional American, Asian and European fare.

Outdoor Cafes

On Fisherman’s Wharf you’ll find several outdoor cafes that evoke the charm of the old South Seas.

Groceries

There are a host of markets and general stores in Raiatea that stock the essentials required for your home-cooked meal. The municipal market in town is a good place to buy local produce, fish, poultry or wine.

On Tahaa, you will also find small stores in Faaaha, Haamene, Patio, Poutoru and Tapuamu stocking soft drinks, snacks and other basics.

Take home a bit of Raiatea and Tahaa by visiting one of the island’s gift shops.

Vending stalls located on the Raiatea waterfront give the atmosphere of an old-world marketplace. Visitors looking for good quality mementos of your Raiatea/Tahaa trip should check out Arri Boutique in Raiatea, which stocks handpainted, one-of-a-kind T-shirts and pareos with Tahitian motifs.

In Hurepiti on Tahaa, Sophie Boutique has a selection of textiles, pareos and shirts, as well as a small collection of crafts.

Places to visit

Though their names are often invoked in the same breath, Raiatea and Tahaa are two distinctly different islands. We invite visitors to discover the intriguing contrasts between these adjoined isles.

Indeed, sightseeing in this region of French Polynesia is almost like visiting two separate worlds. Soak up the small town ambiance and rugged terrain of Tahaa, then take in the sites around relatively cosmopolitan Raiatea. It’s this curious contrast that helps make sightseeing in Raiatea and Tahaa so much fun.

Apooiti Marina Complex

Home to the Clubhouse - touted as the largest restaurant on Raiatea/Tahaa - this marina is one of the more contemporary attractions in the area. The restaurant’s large veranda is the ideal place to enjoy a drink on a warm evening.

Faaroa River

Winding its way though valleys, gorges and rainforests, the Faaroa river holds a mythic place in the history of Raiatea/Tahaa. This balmy green haven, bordered by wild hibiscus trees, is the historic site where hundreds of brave Maohi families departed on their migratory voyages to settle in New Zealand. It is the only navigable river in Polynesia.

Haamene & Hurepiti Bays

These two narrow and fjordlike passages cut deep into the Tahaa landscape. Easily accessible by foot, both bays offer stunning panoramic vistas.

Marae Taputapuatea

This Polynesian temple is a national monument, featuring six stone shrines located on a flat, sandy point. A great number of human sacrifices were performed at this historic site.

Na Te Ara Museum

Also located at the Apooiti Marina Complex, this small, fascinating museum boasts a superb assortment of preserved flora and fauna indigenous to French Polynesia. The exhibit is a bonanza for wildlife lovers, as it features over 25,000 items, including exotic butterflies, shells, coral, turtles, beetles and crustaceans. Relics and specimens from Asia and other South Pacific locales are also displayed.

Taputapuatea Archeological Area

Like its neighboring island Hauhine, Raiatea has yielded its share of archeological treasures over the years. All of which makes a visit to this archeological site an essential stop. Here, scientists have uncovered relics linking the island to Hawaii, corroborating the locally-held belief that Raiatea was a staging ground for ancient Polynesian mariners.

Land Activities

The locals in Raiatea/Tahaa don’t take their natural surroundings for granted. These islands are meant to be explored up-close and personal, so rent a bike, or roam the islands’ serpentine trails.

Biking

Rent a bike and access the sideroads and byways of Raiatea/Tahaa. Traffic on the islands is relatively light, creating a perfect environment for cyclists.

Hiking

When in Raiatea and Tahaa, do as the natives do: walk. As evidenced by the good number of well-maintained trails here, walking is the basic form of transportation on these islands.

Raiatea and Tahaa are a hiker’s utopia full of peaks, plateaus, lagoons and unpaved roads. Explore Mt. Temehani, the Haamene and Hurepiti Bays, or stroll the rustic communities of Patio and Hipu.

Horseback Riding

What could be more romantic than a horseback tour through the wilds of Raiatea/Tahaa? Ride stately Marquesan horses through the mountainous tracks. Breathe in the fragrant, fruit-scented air as you gallop along the numerous rivers. Riding Raiatea/Tahaa by horseback is guaranteed to be a captivating experience.

Water Activities

In Raiatea and Tahaa, the locals encourage visitors to go off the deep end - literally. Fringed with irridescent rivers and lagoons, the region is perfect for swimming, snorkeling, sailing and fishing.

Beaches

Though Raiatea is bereft of beaches on the main island, a number of superb beaches dot the outlying reefs. Rent a boat and sail to white-sand paradises like Motu Nao Nao, Opeha Point, Motu TauTau and Motu Tehutu.

Deep Sea Fishing

Personalized deep sea fishing cruises allow visitors the opportunity to catch exotic specimens from the waters of Raiatea/Tahaa. Half-day outings are available, and full-day excursions often include picnic and drinks.

Fishing

Thanks to the area’s relatively low population, the waters around Raiatea and Tahaa are never depleted of fish. Fishing enthusiasts can take advantage of this fortuitous situation by chartering a fishing boat for a half- or full-day. Cast your line and catch jackfish, mahimahi, marlin, sailfish and tuna.

Sailboat

Some locals swear that the best way to see Raiatea and Tahaa is by sailboat. In fact, Raiatea is the Polynesian base for more than half a dozen yacht charter companies. Cruise around Raiatea/Tahaa, or set an open course for neighboring isles such as Bora Bora or Huahine.

Scuba Diving

Take a dive into the deep blue waters of Raiatea/Tahaa and marvel at the islands’ undersea wrecks, fish and plant life. The islands have a plethora of interesting dive sites, including Avera Pass, Coral Garden and Coral Caves. Lagoon dive sites are numerous here, and many are within a 10- to 20-minute range by boat from port.

Snorkeling

Home to a wide variety of reef fish and plant life, the area offers excellent snorkeling. Since fish-feeding is practiced, the lagoon attracts schools of eels, perches, triggerfish, red snappers, silver jacks, tunas and red runners, not to mention an assortment of sharks.