Aitutaki, The Cook Islands

Photographs can never convey the breathtaking beauty that is Aitutaki - nearest neighbour of the capital island, Rarotonga and the most visited after it. Warm, crystal clear waters fill a triangular shaped, turquoise blue lagoon. Each leg of the triangle stretches for seven miles. Dotted around it are uninhabited, palm filled islands or "motus", with sparkling white sand.

The lagoon itself is teeming with fish and to swim among them is like taking a dip in a tropical fish tank. The very lucky visitor might even catch a rare glimpse (as I did) of a turtle skimming through the waters.

Aitutaki is about 45 minutes flying time from the capital island of Rarotonga...and the airport terminal alone (pictured right) is worth the journey! Unfortunately, the thatched roof has been replaced recently with a more conventional structure...but you will still wish all airports were like this.

Population 2,194
7 sq mls/18.3 sq.kms

An astronaut's eye view...
Aitutaki and its stunning blue lagoon
as seen from the space shuttle.
Image Courtesy of Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Laboratory,
NASA Johnson Space Center

Access: Frequent Internal Flights & International Connections

Click on the Cook Islands flag to find out more about Aitutaki, including the legend of One Foot Island, when and where to see turtles mating and how to get a unique souvenir of paradise

Captain William Bligh was the first European to discover Aitutaki, on 11 April, 1789...17 days before the infamous mutiny on his ship, the Bounty. And he was no stranger to the Cook Islands as he was previously Sailing Master on HMS Resolution during Captain Cook's third voyage. Historic documents say that when Bligh weighed anchor off Aitutaki, a native came out in a canoe, rubbed noses with him and gave him a pearl-shell breast ornament suspended with human hair braid. Bligh visited again on 25 July, 1792.

Captain Bligh's "charming little spot"