Mangaia
Cook Islands · Southern Cook Islands · 20 m
Description
Mangaia is the southernmost of the Cook Islands and, at around eighteen million years, the oldest island in the Pacific. A ring of raised fossil coral called “makatea” encircles it in cliffs and pinnacles up to sixty metres high, pierced by caves that were used for burials and are entered with a lantern and a guide. Inside the ring the land dips into taro swamps and rises to Rangimotia, the central hill with a view across the whole island. Three villages sit on the coast. The pupu shell necklaces strung here are worn throughout the country.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 2 to 5 days (optimal 3 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: April – October
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Te Rua Rere burial cave
- Makatea cliff ring around the island
- Rangimotia, the island's high point
- Oneroa village
- Lake Tiriara
- Pupu shell necklace making
- Mangaia Cook Islands Christian Church
- Ivirua and Tamarua villages
- Taro swamps and pineapple gardens inside the makatea
- Mangaia kingfisher and native forest birds
- Island circuit road
- Coral-slab marae and old village sites
- Small sandy coves below the cliffs
Getting there
- Airports:
- MGS