The island has been discovered by James Cook the 13 of August of 1769 on his first trip. Being one of the greatest explorers of the great ocean judging the difficult conditions he decided not to desembarque.

Except for the crossing of some schooners during the following century, you must notice the decisive event of the missionaries from the London Missionary Society in 1821.

The ancient name of Rurutu was Eteroa. According to verbal traditions, the first to occupy the island arrived in two pirogues from Tahiti: Punaauia and later the Paea. Those first immigrations are dated from the VIII century (date obtained by Pierre Verin, and ancient habitant from Vitaria). Subsequently another pirogue from south America brought along by those called Ati A`ura arrived. In spite of the funest attempt of crossing by Eric the Bishop in between the coasts of south American and Polynesian coasts on his raft “Tahiti-nui II” to be able to put in evidence the possible historic links, this “inca” contribution was not accomplished by the archeologists and is not certain.

In spite of important destructions due to the agriculture, the breeding of pork and to the development of the habitat, numerous archeological relics are found on the coast, particularly at Vitaria. They have been studied by Pierre Verin in 1968-1963.