Raiatea and Taha'a
Our first port of call was the island of Raiatea, which shares a lagoon with the island of Taha’a and the islet of Motu Mahana. Once the heart of Polynesian culture, religion, royalty, and politics. Raiatea also retains Tahiti's most significant archeological sites. Ancient Polynesians built marae—stone temples that offered the gods a physical space to occupy during ritual ceremonies. Over the course of two days, we visited a black pearl farm, picnicked on a secluded beach (below), and snorkeled in the clear lagoon (bottom left).
The gap above is the only way in and out of the lagoon shared by Raiatea and Taha’a.
Most deluxe tourist hotels in Tahiti have lovely water lily ponds. This one, near the pier on Raiatea, also had an elegant double staircase.
View from the ship as the Paul Gauguin pulled alongside the dock at Raiatea.
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