Hotel Raiatea Lodge
About this stay
Raiatea Lodge is a small colonial-style hotel on Raiatea's west coast, about five minutes from the airport and ten from the covered market in Uturoa, the island's town. Renovated in 2020, it has rooms and a suite in the main house and eight bungalows spread through a large tropical garden around a pool, with a restaurant and bar on site. Mount Tapioi and the Temehani plateau are close by for walkers. It suits travelers who want a comfortable, central base for exploring Raiatea and neighbouring Taha'a.
Good for
About Raiatea
Raiatea is the second-largest of the Society Islands and shares a single lagoon with its smaller neighbour Taha'a. In Polynesian tradition it is Havai'i, a homeland from which voyagers set out across the eastern Pacific, and it holds the region's most revered marae. It suits travellers interested in culture, sailors, and hikers, more than those looking for long beaches. Compared with Bora Bora, tourism is low-key and much of the island is farmland and forest.
Getting there
Raiatea's airport (RFP) is just outside Uturoa. Air Tahiti flies from Papeete in about 45 minutes and links Raiatea with Huahine, Bora Bora and Maupiti. Inter-island cargo ships call at Uturoa, and shuttle boats cross the lagoon to Taha'a.