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Cook Islands Travel Gallery


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Cook Islands Travel Guide


The Cook Islands lie in the South West Pacific. There are fifteen island groups in all. Rarotonga is the largest island with half of the countries 18,000 population but it is only 26 sq. miles in size making it easy to get around. Rarotonga is volcanic in appearance with several mountain peaks over 500 metres high. The only other island which appeals as a major tourist destination is Aitutaki, a beautiful lagoon island 40 minutes flight to the north (3-5 flights daily).


Rarotonga
 Rarotonga is the largest and most populated of the 15 Cook Islands. Home to the International Airport, 90% of tourists stay here for their entire holiday. The Polynesian island is only 62 sq. km in size and is one of the most developed in the South Pacific with good amenities and tourist infrastructure. Mountain views are stunning all around Rarotonga. Mopeds are the most popular way to travel. Apart from the mountains and beaches, the Cook Islands has some good scuba diving sites, excellent game-fishing and visiting humpback whales from July to October.

Rarotonga rises from the coast into several attractive peaks, the tallest being 653 metres. Mountain scenes can be viewed from the coastal road right around Rarotonga and there are several valley roads which make excellent walking treks into the rainforest. Several guides offer walking and nature tours as well as 4WD and mountain bike excursions. Rarotonga is a very popular holiday destination. The volcanic island is surrounded by a fringing coral reef with lots of shallow lagoons, good snorkelling spots and clean sandy beaches. The air and sea temperature is warm year round with higher temperatures and rainfall in the tropical summer months of December to April.

Avarua Town on the north coast about 5 minutes drive from the international airport is a pleasant seaside town with banks, lots of restaurants and boutique shops, but no beach and limited accommodation. On Saturdays, the local market is a good place to buy fruits and handcrafts and watch the locals. Ikurangi peak viewed from the grounds of the Para O Tane Palace. The mountain views from Avarua are quite spectacular. An ancient inland road, the ara metua, is a great place to explore passing local plantations of taro rootcrops and offering an insight into cook islands lifestyle.

The picturesque setting of Muri Beach is on the south east corner of Rarotonga. The white sandy beach with coconut palms and ironwood trees stretches for about a mile. Muri is the place to go for watersports and there are lots of self-catering beach bungalows and a couple of medium size resorts to choose from. There are four small uninhabited islands within the reef which make popular picnic spots and can be reached from Muri Beach by either wading across at low or high tide, or by renting a sea kayak for the day.

The South Coast of Rarotonga is the quietest stretch of coastline. There are some lovely deserted beaches here but only a few places to stay making it a good choice for those wanting to have the place for themselves. The prominent outcrop of rock known as "The Needle" can be seen from the coastal road along the South Coast of Rarotonga. Several tour guides take tourists into the rainforest for day hikes although reaching the needle has been made dangerous since part of the rock collapsed after heavy rains in 2001. About a ten-minute hike inland from the South Coast road is Papua waterfall. This is a great spot for swimming in the cool rain-filled pools beneath the waterfall. The waterfall is usually gushing between November and May but can dry up in the summer months. Mosquitoes are annoying here so bring insect repellent

The beach meanders almost unbroken along the entire west coast of Rarotonga. In parts, the ironwood backed beach is wild and natural and great for exploring. The west coast has the second highest concentration of accommodation and offer great sunsets. There's also the best selection of restaurants here.


Aitutaki Lagoon
 Aitutaki is a 45-minute flight from Rarotonga and the only other mainstream tourist destination in the Cook Islands. There are several small luxury resorts and self catering beach bungalows around the main island which has an even more laid back atmosphere than Rarotonga.

Aitutaki is a tranquil small island where locals go about their daily business in a slow laid back approach. This is an excellent island to explore, meet the people and experience the south seas. Picturesque swimming beaches on the north west coast of Aitutaki make this the most popular place to stay. There are stunning beaches on the Southern Tip at Ootu Point looking across the lagoon to the main island. There are several small resorts here with great views of the islands and sunsets over the lagoon.

The small uninhabited islands surrounding Aitutaki are absolutely stunning. There are few places to stay on these offshore islands but day cruises depart from the main island of Aitutaki to spend a few hours on the islands and snorkelling in the turquoise lagoon.

The idyllic lagoon with its shimmering waters, sandbanks and gorgeous uninhabited palm fringed islands is one of the most beautiful spots in the South Pacific and is a must for day trippers from both Aitutaki and Rarotonga.


Atiu & The Eastern Islands
 Five islands to the east of Rarotonga offer a great experience for discerning travellers. Atiu, Mauke, Mitiaro and Mangaia are all similar uplifted limestone islands with rocky coastlines and inland cliffs and caves. The people are extremely friendly and more traditional than either Aitutaki or Rarotonga.

The lush bush of Atiu is great for exploring and taking in natrure and some unique birdlife. The villages are located inland raised upon the makatae or limesone ridge. Whilst the coastline is mostly rocky, there are several gorgeous cove beaches which are virtually always deserted. The island is renowned for its bush beer and there are several guesthouses in the villages.


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Cook Islands Travel Guide

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