Aitutaki Island

Aitutaki is the Cook Islands' 2nd most important, 2nd most popular and 2nd most populated island in the country. It is not as beautiful as number one, Rarotonga, but it has its own unique charm.

Aitutaki sits at one end of a shark-free lagoon, which is dotted with 15 small islands, known as motu. The islands are:

Island	Type	Comment	Area
			ha	acre
Aitutaki	volcanic	The main and largest island	16,800	42,000
Akaiami	motu		41.91	103.6
Akitua	motu	It has a beautiful turquoise, indigo blue beach	14.86	36.7
Angarei	motu		13.07	32.3
Ee	motu	Also known as Niura	29.21	72.2
Maina	sand cay	It features a sandbar off its shore and it is perfect for snorkeling. The islant is a nesting ground for red-tailed tropicbirds.	16.96	41.9
Mangere	motu		8.54	21.1
Motukitiu	motu		11.47	28.3
Moturakau	volcanic	It served as a leper colony from the 1930s to 1967	3.86	9.5
Muritapua	motu		4.04	10.0
Ootu	motu	It is a peninsula of Aitutaki and the location of Aitutaki Airport	175	430
Papau	motu		5.26	13.0
Rapota	volcanic	It has a basalt core and it is surrounded by basalt boulders	3.1	7.7
Tapuaeta cay	sand cay		0.95	2.3
Tapuaetai	motu	Also known as One Foot Island. It has a great beach and clear turquoise waters.	5.96	14.7
Tavaerua	motu		12.47	30.8
Tavaerua Iti	motu		4.12	10.2
Tekopua	motu		71.29	176.2
Aitutaki Atoll		It is almost an atoll	18,050	44,600

On Aitutaki are several interesting historical sites, including various pre-European religious meeting grounds, called marae. Most of these sites can be visited.

The main town on Aitutaki is Arutanga.

Near the island's southeastern shore are various impressive basalt marae stones. The stones, each of which has its own name, are amongst the largest of its kind in the Cook Islands.

On the northern end of the island is Maungapu, the highest point on Aitutaki. It is only 125 m (410 ft) high, but it offers excellent views of the island and the lagoon.

Aitutaki's airport is at the northern end of the island, on the Ootu peninsula. There are daily flights between Aitutaki and Rarotonga. Aitutaki is popular with yachters, so you can get there by boat too.

Accommodation is available and Aitutaki also has one of the best 'island nights' dance and music performances in the Cook Islands. Aitutaki Island is 250 km north of Avarua.

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