The site was the political and religious center of eastern Polynesia for several centuries, and was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2017 for its historical significance.

[6] Omai (c.1751–1780), another young man from Raiatea, travelled with European explorers to London in 1774 and also served as an interpreter to Captain Cook on his second and third journeys.

Favored by Raiatea's geography, with valleys bounded by rocky ridges and open to the sea, nine independent tribal principalities emerged, which in turn subdivided into individual clans.

The great temple (in Tahitian marae) of Taputapuatea, dedicated to the god Oro, was the most important religious center of the islands.

Around him the Arioi sect was formed, a religious, aristocratic, warlike and festive mixture, which was respected in all the islands and achieved, only with its presence and its taboo character, a truce in the tribal wars.

Coming from Tahiti, he sailed onboard HMS Endeavour through the Avamo'a Reef passage, sacred to the Polynesians, anchored in Opoa Bay and landed near the Marae Taputapuatea.

Although neighboring Tahiti was already under the influence of European powers in the late 18th century and formally came under French protectorate in 1842, the clans of Raiatea fiercely resisted annexation efforts.

As early as 1842, Rear Admiral Abel Aubert du Petit-Thouars had claimed the Society Islands on behalf of France.

However, King Louis Philippe I initially hesitated to sign the annexation announced by Petit-Thouars, fearing conflicts of interest with Britain, which also claimed them.

As Queen Pōmare IV of Tahiti was pro-British and more attached to the Protestant missionaries, she allowed herself to be taken to Raiatea in this ambiguous situation in 1844 and ruled from there until 1847.

From the peaks, the highest of which is Toomaru at 1032 m,10 steeply sloping valleys and gorges open out to the sea, separated by narrow rocky ridges.

The vegetation of French Polynesia is characterized by two peculiarities: a high proportion of endemic plants and a relative scarcity of species.

The isolated location of the islands and the fact that they have never been connected to a continental landmass explain the high number of endemic plants.

In almost 2,000 years of settlement history, humans have decisively changed the flora of Raiatea with cultivation, especially in the fertile coastal areas.

Coconut palms, breadfruit trees, taro, yams, cassava, sweet potatoes and various tropical fruits are grown as food crops, including a particularly tasty pineapple.

The remaining natural vegetation on the island consists mostly of savanna and evergreen forest, with areas of coastal strand and hillside scrub.

Most savanna is dominated by the bright green fern Dicranopteris linearis, which can form dense patches up to two metres high, interspersed with clumps of darker trees.

Other lowland forest trees include Hibiscus tiliaceus, breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis), and Cananga odorata, along with stands of the native bamboo Schizostachyum glaucifolium.

Understory plants include the fern Angiopteris evecta and coffee (Coffea arabica), which was introduced to the islands for cultivation and now forms a dense shrub undergrowth in parts of the forest.

Characteristic plants include Decaspermum lanceolatum [ceb; sv; vi; war] (endemic to Raiatea), Pterophylla vescoi, Pandanus tectorius, Metrosideros collina, and species of Canthium, Wikstroemia, Alstonia, Astronia, Glochidion, Styphelia, Bidens, Xylosma, Garnotia, Sphenomeris, Lycopodium, and Cassytha.

The grass-like sedges Gahnia schoenoides and Machaerina bidwellii [ceb; sv; vi; war] are predominant in the understory and in open areas.

[17] The following legend is associated with the fragrant yellowish-white tiare apetahi flower: A princess who died in the arms of her beloved promised to hold his hand tenderly every time she climbed Mount Temehani.

After an eventful stay in Tahiti, where Captain Cook also witnessed a human sacrifice, he left on September 29, 1777, to explore other islands in the atoll.

The early Polynesian settlers brought dogs, pigs, chickens and the Pacific rat as food animals, and Europeans introduced goats, cows, sheep and horses.

In addition to hundreds of different coral fish, divers can observe numerous mollusks, echinoderms and crustaceans from the tropical sea.

Fā'aroa Valley is a large and important agricultural region with the rural economy and the cultivation of vanilla supported by a local research facility.

The local tourist infrastructure comprises boarding houses, two marinas, a four star hotel, The Hawaiki Nui and a port for visiting cruise ships.

For cruise ship tourists, the port's reception terminal was redesigned a few years ago, a small park was laid out and the esplanade was paved with natural stones from the island in various colors.

The largest platform was built in the early 17th century with huge upright limestone slabs and is dedicated to Oro, the god of war.

The port of Uturoa was remodeled in the early 2000s, allowing cruise ships such as the Tahitian Princess, the Gauguin, the Amsterdam and the World to make weekly calls during the tourist season.