What to Do on Rarotonga Island
Rarotonga Island is the capital, population centre and tourist hub of the Cook Islands. It is a small island, taking about an hour to circumnavigate the coastal road. Mopeds remain the most popular form of transport on Rarotonga, and you can rent a moped direct from Kauare Bach. The road is good having recently been resealed but there are more cars and trucks today on the road than pre-pandemic era as well as tourists car rental companies. A public bus travels both clock-wise and anti-clockwise around Rarotonga Island every hour between 7am and 10pm (slightly reduced hours on Sunday) and costs NZ$5 per trip (cash to driver).
Visiting the beaches is the top tourist attraction on Rarotonga. Several companies offer half day cruises around Muri Lagoon with snorkelling stops over coral patches. Game fishing and scuba diving is available with most charters based out of Avarua Town and these generally offer transfer pick-up and drop-off. From July to October humpback whales visit the island and can be seen right off the coast. Other popular tourist things to do on Rarotonga include Highland Tours (quad bike or safari vehicle), guided walking and bird-watching in Nature Reserves, the cross island hike (which is accessed close to Kauare Bach) and the Saturday morning market in town.
For those looking to explore a little further into the Cook Islands tourism experience, visiting Aitutaki Lagoon is highly recommended. Aitutaki is one of the iconic natural wonders of the South Pacific with the highlight being day cruises around the lagoon to visit uninhabited coral islands teeming with sea birds, for snorkelling in unbelievably turquoise waters, and to walk along sand bars and picturesque white sand beaches backed by coconut trees.
Visit Aitutaki IslandCultural Entertainment on Rarotonga Island
For local history and culture, explore the ancient inland road where many families still live and where you might come across spiritual sites known as marae. For a rounded background on local Maori culture, visit the museum in Avarua Town. Attending a Sunday church service is another popular event and tourists are welcome at the many beautiful churches around the island. Titikaveka Church is a short walk from the Bach.
