Rikitea is Mangareva's only settlement of any size — a village of around 1,100 people that functions as the capital of the Gambier commune, with a small school, a medical post, a church, a bar, and little else by way of formal infrastructure. The Saint-Michel Cathedral dominates the waterfront and gives the village a grandeur disproportionate to its size.
The village is worth a slow wander. The waterfront path, the small quay where boats come and go, and the gardens around the cathedral have a particular Pacific quietness that is part of what draws the visitors who make it out here. There is no real "tourism district" — Rikitea is just a village where people live, and the few visitors integrate naturally into its rhythms. The local fare (guesthouse) is usually the social hub for anyone staying on the island.