Aitutaki, Cook Islands

The Blue Lagoon of the Pacific...A visit to the Cook Islands is not complete without seeing our beautiful island of Aitutaki. The breathtaking allure of it's crystal clear turquoise waters and sparkling white beaches is an essential ingredient in any Cook Island holiday. This is a place of unsurpassed natural beauty and tranquility, providing a simple tonic to sooth away the pressures of the outside world.

Visitors who stay should set their watches to "island time". In this laid-back atmosphere you will find a variety of accommodation facilities, an assortment of different shops scattered throughout the villages and a number of restaurants, bars and entertainment venues. As on Rarotonga, the popular mode of transport is the motor scooter.

THIS magnificent and remote island is the stuff of which dreams are made. It is a triangular-shaped 'almost'-atoll rising up 4000 metres from the floor of the Pacific Ocean. It consists of three volcanic and 12 coral islets (motus)

It was probably first settled around 900 AD and one of its great legendary Polynesian discoverers was Ru who named it Utataki Enua O Ru Ki Te Moana. Roughly translated, this means The Leading of a Cargo of People by Ru Over the Ocean. It can be inferred that Aitutaki was, therefore, the ultimate destination of one of the great Polynesian ocean voyages. The first recorded discovery by Europeans was Captain Bligh on the "Bounty". He arrived on April 11 1789 and shortly afterwards the famous mutiny occurred. Bligh returned later on July 25 1792. He is credited with introducing the paw paw fruit to Aitutaki and this is now an important export product from the Cook Islands.

The first missionary to the Cooks, John Williams, landed on Aitutaki before any of the other Cooks and there is a large, airy coral block church in Arutanga, the main township, which bears testament to his success in converting the people to Christianity.

Life on Aitutaki moves at a wonderfully relaxed tempo which is why it is such a popular destination for visitors who fly in from Rarotonga for day trips as well as extended stays.The lagoon can be approached in leisurely fashion in traditional outrigger canoes for quiet paddling just off the beach or in more sophisticated launches favored by foreign anglers who know its reputation for saltwater flyfishing for the fighting bonefish. More on fishing.

The motus which are mainly at the outer perimeter of the lagoon are wonderful landing places for the day cruises available for visitors. The favorite islets are Akaiami and One Foot Island.