Aitutaki is located 230km north of Rarotonga, an unspoiled landscape of lush vegetation, swaying palms, friendly faces, all ringed by one of the world’s most beautiful blue lagoons.
A South Pacific vacation to Aitutaki is the stuff dreams are made of. Aitutaki lagoon is a postcard brought to life and a must for anyone planning Aitutaki travel! Prepare to slow down, relax and enjoy Aitutaki travel on “island time”. The locals are wonderfully welcoming, open and friendly people. You can make many new friends!
This magnificent and remote island has a triangular-shaped ‘almost’-atoll rising up 4000 meters from the floor of the Pacific Ocean. It consists of three volcanic and 12 coral islets (motus). The main island is where most of the Aitutaki accommodation is located, the smaller islands mostly uninhabited. See this Google Map.
– Geographic coordinates of Aitutaki 18 50S, 159 46W
– Wet season, hot months, November – April
– Dry season, cooler months May – Oct
– Summer (Dec, Jan, Feb) high 29°C, low 22°C
– Winter (Jun, Jul, Aug) high 25°C, low 19°C
– Aitutaki population, approx – 2000 – 2200
– Official language – English, but most people on Aitutaki speak Maori as well
– Aitutaki measures just 20 square kilometres
– The Aitutaki Lagoon measures 45 kms in circumference and is approx 3-25ft deep
– International calling code for Aitutaki: 682
– The currency used in the Cook Islands and Aitutaki is the New Zealand Dollar.
– There are 2 ATMS on the island
– There are only a few places that have satellite TV
– There is one Internet Cafe
– There are hot spots around the island and you can access them with a voucher. Petero’s Place provides for a hotspot
– Religion – strongly Christian.
Getting here
How do I get to Aitutaki?
Book any major airline that flies to Rarotonga, then the only airline that flies on to Aitutaki is Air Rarotonga. www.airraro.com
They have five flights per day Monday-Saturday and two on Sunday, from Rarotonga to Aitutaki to Rarotonga. **Please note that during covid 19 there are no flights on Sundays. The trip over is only forty-five minutes and is worth it for the view of the lagoon alone.
Be aware that we are 3 hours behind Los Angeles (Pacific time) and 22 hours behind New Zealand time. Don’t get caught out with your booking plans: i.e. NZ departures on a Saturday will get you to Rarotonga on a Friday!
Getting around
What kind of transportation is there on Aitutaki?
There is no public transport system (buses) and only one taxi on Aitutaki. Your options are: rent a car/scooter/push-bike, or walk. There are also boat taxis to get around. eg, Kutekute island taxi is one. For road, however, a car is a good idea if you have small children or are not comfortable on a scooter.
One of the biggest car and scooter rental companies on the island is Rino’s Rentals.
Your Peteros Place Caretaker host Mathilda can help you arrange your transportation.
