Islands of Cook Island

RAROTONGA
IS LIKE ONE BIG RESORT
The beating heart of our little paradise will capture yours. Rarotonga, the hub of the Cook Islands, has so much to see and do, yet remains unspoilt. No traffic lights, no McDonald’s and no building taller than the highest coconut tree.

The warmth of the tropical sun surrounds you, the scent of frangipani washes over you, the most pressing decision that you face: should you climb the summit of the island’s majestic volcanic peak, or explore the crystal clear turquoise waters and swim with schools of tropical fish? Either way you know you’ll enjoy your holiday in this tropical paradise we call Rarotonga.

Getting Around Rarotonga
With so much to offer, you’ll be excited to learn that getting around our beautiful island is as easy as hopping on board a bus travelling in either a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction. Hire a rental car or jump on the back of a scooter and enjoy the wind on your face as you cruise around our island enjoying both beauty and adventure on tap. It takes just 45 minutes to drive around the whole island, so you’ll never feel like you’re stuck in the same spot.

Food Glorious Food
On Rarotonga, we have over 100 cafés and restaurants to choose from, with many being located within walking distance from your accommodation. With options ranging from the best burgers you’ve ever tried at great family friendly restaurants to fine dining with a Polynesian twist, you’ll always be spoilt for choice.

Endless Adventure
Feel the rush of endorphins as you conquer our mountains on a guided tour with Pa. Give kite surfing a go or learn to scuba dive in our warm waters. Take the family to one of our famous cultural villages, or just wander from the sandy white beach to the pool while the kids enjoy an intense day of crab racing and friend-making at the kids club. From adrenalin-packed activities, to the more sedate such as kayaking or stand up paddling in the calm lagoon, or the perfect island massage, we will help you enjoy your stay in a little paradise.

Cultural Experiences
If it’s culture you’re searching for then don’t miss the opportunity to head to a cultural show and be enchanted by our local cultural groups, dancing with fire to the fast rhythm beaten out on a wooden drum. Head to our buzzing Punanga Nui markets and experience beautiful Rarotongan craft, pick up a stunning Tivaevae (brightly coloured hand made quilt) or an exquisite black pearl. Or join with us at church on Sunday as we lift our voices in harmonious song.

Rarotonga Accommodation
You’ll be blown away by the different styles of accommodation on offer. If you’re travelling as a group and are looking to self-cater, consider hiring a beach house. Or, perhaps you prefer to envisage yourself lying beside a private pool; then a luxurious villa stay is the place for you. If you’re travelling with a young family and appreciate the ease of restaurants, room service and a kids club then we also have the ideal resorts for you. In Rarotonga, no matter what type of accommodation you’re looking for we’ve got the perfect place for you.

AITUTAKI
A little paradise means Aitutaki, home to approximately 1800 people and the world’s most beautiful lagoon. It’s only 220 kilometres or a 50-minute flight from Rarotonga. Secluded and romantic, 15 motus (islets) are sprinkled across this huge turquoise, sunlit lagoon.

After Rarotonga, Aitutaki is our second most visited island in the Cook Islands. Secluded and romantic, it holds a compelling allure for honeymooners, many of whom choose this haven for the duration of their stay. You can look forward to languid, leisurely days simply reveling in each other’s company and the jaw-dropping surroundings. Work on your suntan lazing under a coconut palm, relax with a massage or explore the island by cycle or motor-scooter.

Getting to ‘heaven’
With flights a mere 50 minutes north from Rarotonga, there is simply no excuse not to visit this spectacular island and soak up the beauty of one of world’s most exquisite lagoons. With Air Rarotonga offering an Aitutaki Day Tour experience from Rarotonga including, transfers, airfares, a lagoon cruise, snorkelling and lunch, we would love you to experience this beauty for yourself.

Fun on the Lagoon
Fancy kayaking to a fine white sandy beach that you can have all to yourselves? Or hiring your own boat and setting a course for Maina, Honeymoon Island, or One Foot Island – where visitors can get their passport stamped at the world’s smallest post office. Several tour operators cruise daily to these motu (small islands), other sand islets and to favourite snorkelling spots abundant with colourful fish, turtles and coral clusters.

Do as Much or as Little as You Like
Check out the kite boarders zooming across acres of sandy shallows on the South East trade winds then get a lesson and have a go yourself. Go fly-fishing for the mighty bonefish, enjoy readily accessible scuba diving as well as fantastic deep sea fishing. Learn the history and culture of the friendly and gentle Aitutaki people on day tours or hire a scooter or bicycle to explore at your own pace.

Delectable Delights
Sip champagne in sophisticated full service resorts or be awed by the gentle lapping of waves on the pristine white sand, drink in hand at the magic sunset hour at your beachside boutique accommodation in Aitutaki. In Aitutaki you’ll experience an array of culinary delights that will melt in the mouth of even the most discerning foodie, set in amongst one of the most spectacular vistas you’re likely to encounter.

Aitutaki Accommodation
The main island, dwarfed by the vast lagoon, offers gorgeous places to stay for all budgets, including the Cook Islands’ only overwater bungalows and of course many other boutique properties catering exceptionally well for honeymooners or the romantic at heart. Family-friendly accommodation options are available, while our stunning resorts and private villas dotted around the island provide the perfect escape and ooze a sense of casual luxury.

ATIU
AN ECO-LOVERS PARADISE
Home to approximately 400 proud warrior people, there are few untouched places left in the world like Atiu. Over 8 million years old, our 3rd largest island is one big adventure playground, ancient and unspoiled. Rich in culture and history, Atiu is an eco-lovers paradise.

As one of the three Southern Group islands known as Nga-Pu-Toru, Atiu attracts the spirit of the explorer. With no nightclubs, virtually no township and a couple of cafes along with precious little traffic – this is a true escape. Life is pretty much the same as it was some 25 years ago and therefore offers a really genuine insight into island living with its five small villages of Tengatangi, Areora, Ngatiarua, Mapumai and Teenui nestled in the centre. Gardens thrive on Atiu’s rich soil and on certain days the soft aroma of organically grown coffee beans roasting wafts past from plantations that produce some of the best Arabica coffee in the Pacific.

Getting to Atiu
Atiu is only a quick 45-minute flight from Rarotonga and Aitutaki with Air Rarotonga. From Rarotonga, there are flights three times per week on Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays. From Aitutaki, there are flights three times per week on Fridays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Air Rarotonga also offer an Aitutaki and Atiu Island Combo package.

Eco-adventures
There are numerous limestone caves dotted around the island. These caves are continually being carved out and eroded by fresh and saltwater. Some caves even house pools of artesian water that create both beautiful and exciting swimming holes. A walk through the dense tropical jungle covering the Makatea coastline leads to Anatakitaki Cave – a must-see when in Atiu.

Enuamanu – Island of Birds
The caves also provide a home to one of our rare native birds, the Kopeka. This tiny bird nests deep in the limestone caverns and just like a bat navigates its way through the dark using sonar. This island is also a haven for viewing the exotic plumes of the Tavake, the White Capped Noddy, the Great Frigate and the Brown Bobby. The endangered Kakerori and the colourful Kura flit around historical sites. In fact, some eleven native birds, the loudest of which is the Blue Kingfisher, with its calls through the still of the jungle, can be found here.

Craft Beer & Coffee, Island Style
Atiu also has a thriving coffee business with Arabica coffee organically grown, hand picked and dried on the island. A visit to one of our coffee plantations is a fascinating experience. By night you must join us at a tumunu, or local beer club. The tumunu, which translates to “coconut trunk”, is a century old tradition where our people gather to discuss local events while drinking delicious home brewed fruit beer, which is stored in barrels made from coconut trunks, hence the origins of its name.

Atiu Accommodation
For a truly unforgettable experience, stay with one of our local families or book into the Atiu Villas where you’ll find a pool, Wi-Fi, tennis court and a restaurant that provides your evening meals.

MANGAIA
LEGEND AND MYSTIQUE
Mangaia is steeped in legend and mystique. Estimated at 18 million years old, it is one of the oldest islands in the Pacific. Mangaia is the most southerly of the Cook Islands and the second largest. It has to be as far from the maddening crowd as any island could possibly be.

Getting to Mangaia
Mangaia is only a 40-minute flight from Rarotonga with Air Rarotonga. A visit to Mangaia is an interesting and exciting excursion away from the beaten track.

Discover Mangaia
With a volcanic plateau framed by a ring of high fossilised coral cliffs – Mangaia’s remarkable natural beauty and serenity are only part of its fascination. Its age, structure and ancient artefacts have for decades been a draw card to archaeologists and anthropologists who make it a “must” on their expeditions.

MAUKE
UNSPOILT AND UNDISCOVERED
According to legend, Mauke was originally named Akatokamanava – ‘the place where my heart rested’ – by the Chief Uke after a long voyage from Avaiki. A fittingly romantic name for the beautiful island. The name ‘Mauke’ was used by later generations – it literally translates to ‘Land of Uke’.

Peace reigns supreme on this tiny island, cycling lazily around the coral roads curving gently through coconut palms and hard-wood trees. Every so often a small sandy beach emerges bordered by coral rocks. It’s the perfect place to de-stress and unwind with fruit and drinking coconuts picked fresh for you. This island’s way of life will leave you feeling replenished and revitalised. With a small community of 290, the people are some of the warmest and friendliest in the South Pacific. From the moment you step off the plane you are welcomed as one of their own.

Getting to Mauke
Experience the tranquil beauty and remoteness of Mauke with Air Rarotonga. With regular flights to Mauke and a fantastic excursion package that includes accommodation and experiences.

Discover Mauke
Mauke is one of the three close islands of Nga-Pu-Toru. Extraordinarily pretty, Mauke is a garden island, abundant with flowers that grow wild and a place where locals take enormous pride in their home gardens. Discover more about one of the best kept secrets in the Cook Islands.

LIVE LIKE A LOCAL IN
MITIARO
Harbouring some of the most stunning subterranean limestone caves and pools to be found in the Pacific, Mitiaro is a natural playground featuring white sandy beaches, fossilised coral formations and coconut palms reaching high into a strikingly blue sky.

With Itiki (local eel – which is like caviar to the islanders), bream and prawns filling the crystal clear pools of Mitiaro, marine life is abundant on this island. Part of the Southern Group Nga-Pu-Toru (“The Three Roots”), Mitiaro was once a volcano that sank into the ocean, becoming a coral atoll which then, about 10,000 years ago, raised 20 feet above sea level to become the flat island we know today. Because of this unique geological process, on the island you’ll find limestone caves with sunken pools to explore that are part of this fossilised coral formation.

Getting to Mitiaro
Experience the tranquil beauty and remoteness of Mitiaro with Air Rarotonga. With regular flights to Mitiaro and a fantastic excursion package that includes accommodation and experiences.

Discover Mitiaro
Mitiaro is one of the three islands of Nga-Pu-Toru, with a population of under 200, the gentle warmth of the friendly community and a true pride in their island is instantly apparent on arrival to this secluded paradise.

PA ENUA
OUTER ISLANDS
The outer islands have a remote, unspoiled appeal for the explorer, author and artist in all of us. Eight sister islands are in the Southern Group and seven more lie to the North. Some are accessible by local flights, all are accessible by boat. Off the beaten track and spread over 2 million square km of the South Pacific Ocean, their uniqueness and timelessness are their own reward.

Manuae
Manuae is about 100 km south-east of Aitutaki. When the weather allows, Manuae’s stunningly beautiful lagoon can be viewed from the air when flying from Aitutaki to Atiu.

Takutea
Takutea Seabirds thrive on this pristine, little, uninhabited island that is just a few miles off the north-east coast of Atiu. This wildlife sanctuary is administered by a trust and permission for visits is needed from the Trust Chairman and High Chief Rongomatane Ariki.

Manihiki
Manihiki is an atoll made up of 40 tiny coral islets, which form a ring around a huge, clear and deep blue lagoon. A true escape from the modern world, time here stands still. The pearl farming centre of the Cook Islands, legendary black pearl farms built by local families on coral outcrops are scattered across the turquoise lagoon.

Penrhyn
Penrhyn is the northernmost island of the Cook Islands group. Its most spectacular feature is the immense enclosed blue water lagoon that covers 233 square kilometres, one of the largest in the South Pacific. There are two settlements on islets at opposite ends of the lagoon: Omoka and Tetautua.

Rakahanga
The stunningly beautiful two main islands and seven islets surround the Rakahanga lagoon, which is picturesque and unspoiled. Access is only available by inter-island boat from its sister island Manihiki, situated 42 km to the south-east.

Pukapuka
One of the most beautiful untouched and secluded places in the Pacific, Pukapuka’s remoteness has also helped to keep the wonderful traditions and culture of its people largely unchanged for centuries. It is 1150 km from Rarotonga but accessible by air. Pukapukan is one of the two official languages of the Cook Islands.

Nassau
Often described as the Eden of the Cook Islands, Nassau is home to about 70 people (2016 Census). It lies 83 km to the south of Pukapuka. Measuring just one square kilometre, it is the only island in the northern Cook Islands without a lagoon. Access is gained by inter-island boat from Pukapuka.

Suwarrow
The Suwarrow National Park is the first National Park in the Cook Islands. It is an uninhabited nature reserve and an important breeding ground for seabirds and turtles. Caretakers live on the island during from April to November, when cruising yachts often visit whilst transiting the South Pacific.

Palmerston
Palmerston is stunningly beautiful, yet is the more remote island in the Southern Group. Palmerston was made famous by Englishman William Marsters who settled there in 1863 with his three wives. About 60 descendants live on the island which has six lovely motu and a large blue lagoon 11 km wide. Palmerston hosts the occasional cruise ship and cruising yachts.