Beru Island is a beautiful place with a fascinating history, rich traditions, and significance in the cultural development of Kiribati. It is also covered with mysteries and legends, which make it the center of the world.

Unlike other islands, Beru remained unnoticed by Europeans for a long time. If on other atolls, the missionaries and whalers lived since the 17th century, on that island the first European landed just in 1826. It was the captain of the whaling ship J. Clark. For a long time, the atoll did not attract any attention. Its development began in 1870 when one Samoan pastor came to Beru.

In the 1880s, after a serious shipwreck, a famous European writer George Lewis Beck lived on Beru Atoll. He was interested in the traditions and beliefs of residents, attentively studied them, and wrote some novels about the islands of the southern part of the Pacific Ocean. So, he attracted the attention of other scientists and the searchers of a happy life to these islands. Also, Beck made many scientific works about the fauna of the island of Beru, which became the base of further studies.

For a long time, from 1900 to 1960, there were located the headquarters of the London Missionary Society, which influenced the cultural development of the islands. For example, the workers of the community constructed a secondary school, firstly open to boys, and then for both genders. 

Unfortunately, from an architectural point of view, the island is not interesting. The first settlers built their houses in a colonial style, as well as a large church. But during the Second World War, the military threw off the huge number of bombs, destroying almost all of the island's buildings.

But today, there you can merge with the traditions of residents and relax looking at the beautiful nature.

Beru Atoll is considered one of the symbols of local culture among the aborigines. According to the mythological legends, on the island the great Nareau created the first people named Taburimai and Ricky. They learned how to build houses and manage the household, founded the traditions. Nareo made the first house of worship on Beru Atoll open for everyone. One of the most famous leaders, Kaitu, built a large fleet, which allowed to seize the neighboring islands. Besides, there is a legend that the most powerful citizens of the country have ancestors from this island.