Cook Islands Travel Guide

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Find lazy days dripping with sunshine in the tranquil Cook Islands: 15 sandy freckles in the South Pacific. There are no two ways about it - people come to the Cook Islands for the beaches: pristine, powdery ribbons, lapped by fittingly sparkling waters. For those eager to dive straight in, the Cook Islands' best beaches are at Muri Lagoon and Titikaveka.

Despite covering a vast area, the Cook Islands host a tiny population, and secluded spots are easy to come by. Some islands, such as Rarotonga (where the international airport is situated) and Aitutaki, do feature a number of developed resorts. Mountainous Rarotonga also offers plenty of verdant scenery, should you (unlikely though it is) grow tired of tropical beach paradise.

Geography

The Cook Islands are situated 3,500km (2,200 miles) northeast of New Zealand and 1,000km (600 miles) southwest of Tahiti in the South Pacific, forming part of Polynesia. The 15 islands fall into two groups: the scattered Northern Group are all coral atolls while the Southern Group is of volcanic origin. Most of the larger islands include lagoons surrounded by small areas of fertile land above which rise volcanic hills.

Rarotonga is the largest and highest island with a rugged volcanic interior, its highest peak being Te Manga, at 652m (2,140ft). Coral reef surrounds the island and the population lives between reef and hills where rich soil supports both tropical and subtropical vegetation. Most of the island is covered by thick evergreen bush. Most of the larger islands include lagoons surrounded by small areas of fertile land, above which rise volcanic hills. The best beaches in the Cook Islands are found on Aitutaki, which is part of the eight-island Southern Group. The Northern Group comprises seven islands, the largest being Penrhyn, Manihiki and Pukapuka.