About Aitutaki

Aitutaki Cook Islands is one of the most famous lagoons in the world. With the many sandy beaches edged with palm trees, the beautiful lagoon, and warm tropical climate, it is no wonder that Aitutaki is a popular Cook Islands holiday and honeymoon destination.  The main island is called Aitutaki.

History of Aitutaki

The islands of Aitutaki were uninhabited until around 900AD when the Polynesian chieftan 'Ru' and his followers arrived on the shores of Akitua (the island adjacent to Aitutaki). Polynesian settlement continued there for many hundreds of years until Captain William Bligh visited Aitutaki on April 11th 1789.  17 days later saw the famous Mutiny on the Bounty, with many of the crew led by Fletcher Christian returning to Polynesia, regarded as a paradise too good to leave behind! The 1800s saw the arrival of missionaries and whalers.  The naturalist Charles Darwin arrived in 1835 on the Beagle as part of his research of the South Pacific.  During the second World War, Aitutaki was used as a base by US military.  1950-1961 saw the use of Aitutaki lagoon (Akaiami motu) as a landing stopover for the Tahiti-New Zealand flying boats operated by TEAL (Tasman Empire Airlines), later to become Air New Zealand. 1965 marked self-governance in free association with New Zealand.

Aitutaki Accommodation

Aitutaki is not over-commercialised. Accommodation ranges from a couple of luxury resorts to many smaller mid-range to budget-range motels and lodgings. For more information please visit our Aitutaki Accommodation » Section

Aitutaki Lagoon

The roughly triangular shaped Aitutaki lagoon - each side measuring approximately 11.25 km (7 miles)  is around 19-21 kilometres (12.5 miles) wide at its widest point, yet is only about 4-5 metres (15 feet)  deep on average. The sandy sea floor combined with the shallow ocean water creates a stunning turquoise expanse of water. The main island of Aitutaki is volcanic in origin and sits to the northern point of the lagoon. Along the lagoon's eastern edge are a chain of small islets known as motu. These are of coral formation.