Raiatea is the sacred island - the place the great voyaging canoes left from, and the spiritual heart of the Polynesian triangle. Today it is also the sailing capital of French Polynesia. It asks a little more curiosity than its neighbours, and gives back more history than any of them.

Where is it?

Raiatea lies in the Leeward Islands, sharing one single lagoon with Taha'a - the two islands sit inside the same reef. Uturoa, on the northern tip, is the second-largest town in French Polynesia and the hub of the leeward group.

How do you get there?

The flight from Tahiti takes about 45 minutes. Uturoa's harbour also welcomes the passenger-cargo ships that link the islands. Once there, a rental car is the honest advice: the island is big, and its best places are spread around the coast.

When should you go?

May to October is the drier season. November to April is greener and wetter. Sailors watch the wind more than the calendar - the charter fleet goes out all year.

What to do

• Stand at Taputapuatea. The great complex of marae (open-air temple platforms) at Opoa - a UNESCO World Heritage site - was the religious and political centre of eastern Polynesia. Canoes left from here to settle Hawaii and Aotearoa. Go with a guide who can make the stones speak.
• Paddle up the Faaroa. The only navigable river in French Polynesia winds into a green valley - kayak it, or join a small boat tour.
• Climb Temehani. The plateau is home to the tiare apetahi, a flower that grows nowhere else on earth and refuses every attempt to plant it elsewhere. Look, photograph, never pick - it is protected.
• Sail. Raiatea is the base of Polynesia's charter fleet. Even for one day, getting under sail inside the lagoon changes how you see the islands.
• Cross to Taha'a. The vanilla island is a boat ride away inside the same lagoon - an easy, scented day trip.

Where to stay

Uturoa and the north keep you close to shops, the market and the airport. Pensions dot the whole coastline; Raiatea has no big resort scene, and that is part of its character.

Is Raiatea for you?

Raiatea is the island for travellers who want Polynesia's story, not just its postcard - navigators, marae, a working harbour town. Know this: the main island has few beaches; the sand lives on the motu, a boat ride out. If your trip is measured in beach hours, pair Raiatea with Taha'a's motu or head elsewhere. If it's measured in things understood, stay longer.

Practical tips

• Rent a car for Taputapuatea - it sits a good drive south of Uturoa.
• Uturoa's market is best early in the morning.
• A guided visit at the marae is worth every franc: without the stories, they are stones.
• Provision in Uturoa if you're sailing - it is the best-stocked town outside Tahiti.