The Cook Islands are a group of 15 islands and atolls in the middle of the South Pacific, between Tonga to the west and French Polynesia’s Society Islands to the east. The 15 islands are divided into two categories.
The island, which is home to vibrant blue lagoons, sandstone churches, swaying palms, exuberant smiles, a lush mountainous landscape, and a bustling cafe and bar scene, offers plenty of ways to while away the hours. Every Saturday, the Punanga Nui cultural markets, located in the heart of the city, attract both locals and visitors.
In the 1700s, British explorer James Cook landed on the islands and named the country after him.
1. Rarotonga
Rarotonga is the largest island in the Cook Islands southern group, located 2,100 miles northeast of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean. The Cook Islands are closely linked to New Zealand, but their culture is distinctly Polynesian, and the people are among the world’s friendliest. Rarotonga is the visible tip of a volcanic cone and one of the most popular tourist destinations.
The months of October and November are ideal for visiting Rarotonga, and it also avoids the busiest holiday seasons, resulting in a far more relaxing getaway. Additionally, Rarotonga accommodation is less expensive during this time.
2. Aitutaki: Heaven on Earth
Is Aitutaki worth the effort? Yes, it is gorgeous.
Aitutaki, known as ‘Heaven on Earth,’ is a magical place on Earth. Aitutaki is a spectacularly beautiful island only 50 minutes north of Rarotonga, with a triangular-shaped reef surrounding a bright turquoise lagoon containing 15 small Motus (islets).
3. Mitiaro
Mitiaro, a small island off the coast of New Zealand, represents Pacific Island life, people, community, and landscape. It is truly breathtaking and a little-known paradise in the Cook Islands’ Pa Enua.
4. Atiu
Atiu is a raised volcanic island surrounded on the outer layer of the circle by sharp coral fringes and thick forest.
5. Mangaia
Mangaia is the Cook Islands’ most southerly and second-largest island, after Rarotonga. Mangaia is ideal for those who want to discover and live in one of nature’s most fascinating and secluded locations.
6. Palmerston
Palmerston is one of the handfuls of islands connected by a coral reef surrounding the calm waters of a central lagoon in the Cook Islands.
7. Manuae
Takutea is the idealised tropical island, a tiny jewel in a crystal sea with an emerald centre edged by coral sand.
8. Takutea
Manuae is one of the Cook Islands’ most remote islands. This tiny island is a coral atoll that plunges deep into the ocean bed, uninhabited by man and teeming with marine life and sea turtles.
9. Mauke
Mauke is one of Nga-Pu-three Toru’s nearby islands. Mauke is a stunning garden island, abundant with wildflowers and a place where residents take great pride in their home gardens.
10. Penrhyn
Penrhyn is the Cook Islands’ largest island atoll and the northernmost and probably the most remote and inaccessible. The spectacular lagoon, much of which is surrounded by a gleaming pearl shell and the edge of a coral ring, makes the challenge of visiting this island worthwhile.
11. Rakahanga
Rakahanga is a place where “forever and tomorrow never comes; where men live and die, feast and sorrow, while the wind and the waves play over the wet sands and gleaming reefs,” according to Australian author Julian Hillas.
12. Manihiki
You can scuba dive or snorkel on the reef and see a spectacular display of tropical marine life. Take a night fishing tour to find maroro flying fish or learn to fish the traditional way with nets
made from coconut palm fronds. Enjoy Karori or pearl shell oysters cooked in coconut cream, among other delicacies.
13. Pukapuka
Pukapuka is one of the world’s most remote locations, and it’s closer to Samoa than to Rarotonga, its capital island. It has its language and customs, and other Cook Islanders claim that its most notable benefit is its attractive females.
14. Nassau
It is a remote Garden of Eden, Pukapuka’s younger sister. Lush taro and fruit grove plantations produce abundant harvests all year, and a freshwater spring provides the Nassau people with a simple and charming lifestyle that hasn’t changed much in the last fifty years.
15. Suwarrow
Suwarrow is the Cook Islands’ only national park and the South Pacific’s last frontier for adventurous voyagers. With a population of only two people for half the year, the coral atoll provides an accurate “Robinson Crusoe” experience, which some have recreated and written books. There are only tiny islets of land here.
We hope you enjoyed the article and that it has inspired you to plan your next trip to one or more of these locations!
A day of adventure keeps the doctor away, so keep yourself happy and healthy.
