When the Polynesian explorers discovered the island we know today as Raiatea, they named it "Havai'i" after their legendary ancestral home. Second only to Tahiti in size, Raiatea today is the administrative and trading center of the leeward islands. The principal "city" of Uturoa is a sleepy little water front town reminiscent of Papeete from years past. With the large protected lagoon around Raiatea and her delightful sister island of Tahaa the area has naturally become one of our top locations for sailing, deep sea fishing and scuba diving.