Cook Islands Southern Group

Nine of the 15 tiny islands in the Cooks are designated as the Southern Group, and they're home to nine out of 10 islanders according to the latest census.

They include the capital island, RAROTONGA where 72% of the total population of the Islands live. Avarua is the administrative and commercial centre (locals just call it "town"). Raro's nearest neighbour is the breathtakingly beautiful AITUTAKI whose turquoise blue lagoon includes the mini island or motu, One Foot Island - voted by travel agents worldwide as having the best beach in the Australia-Pacific region.

The other islands in the group are MANGAIA, ATIU, MAUKE, MITIARO, PALMERSTON, and uninhabited TAKUTEA and MANUAE .

The lagoon atoll of MANUAE is owned by the people of Aitutaki. TAKUTEA is tiny sand cay owned by the people of Atui. PALMERSTON - 300 miles west of Rarotonga - is a lagoon atoll populated by the descendants of one English settler and his four wives! Few tourists visit these islands as they are accessible only by sea, and sailings are very infrequent.

Southern Group

Northern Group

Although every one of the islands has a unique charm and character, AITUTAKI deserves a particular mention because some say it is the most beautiful place in the world, and a good few books list it as one of the 50 or 100 places everyone should see before they die. The vast lagoon is a stunning turquoise blue "littered" with tiny islets where you can feel - even if only for a short while - like you are Robinson Crusoe.

Some of those islets are famous - they've been used as the location for the UK TV series, "Shipwrecked" and the US TV series, 'Survivor Cook Islands'.

Aitutaki is also famous for winning awards....the best small island resort in the world in the travel industry Oscars (the World Travel Awards), one of the most romantic destinations in the world, and it's the favourite island destination of no less a person than the boss of the Lonely Planet Guides!

AWARD WINNING AITUTAKI: A star is born