Not to miss

Aitutaki

Aitutaki lacks Rarotonga's popularity and sheer physical beauty but it has charms all its own. It sits at one corner of a triangular lagoon dotted with lovely motu (small islands), and it's historically interesting, with a number of impressive pre-European religious meeting grounds there.

Arutanga is the main village - a sleepy place with a weathered 1828 CICC church, the oldest and one of the most beautiful in the Cooks, with lots of carved wood and stained glass windows. There are lots of funky little shops, and the view of the coastline from the end of the jetty is superb.

There are some impressive black basalt marae stones near the southeastern shore, many among the largest in the islands and each with its own name. Maungapu, on the northern end of the island, is just 125m (410ft), but the easy half-hour hike is worth it for the great view of the island and the lagoon. The lagoon itself is a wonder: dotted with sandbars, coral ridges and 21 motu - and free of sharks. Among the motu worth visiting are Maina, which has great snorkeling and red-tailed tropicbird nests, and Tapuaeta'i, also known as One Foot Island, which boasts a perfect beach and brilliant turquoise waters.

Avarua

Avarua, the capital of the Cook Islands and Rarotonga's main town, lies in the middle of the northern coast. Avarua used to be a sleepy little port, very much the image of a South Seas trading centre, but it got spruced up for the 1992 international Maire Nui festival, and it's still looking good.

But its relaxed, friendly ambience remains. The focal point of the town is the traffic circle, located toward the eastern end of town near Avarua Harbour. Just east of the circle is the Seven-in-One Coconut Tree, a group of trees growing in a perfect circle of their own. Legend has it that they've grown from the same seed.

Among the reminders of the missionary era of the 19th century are the Papeiha Stone, named for the first person to preach the Christian gospel in the Cook Islands; and the CICC Church, dating from 1853 and graced with a beautiful graveyard.

Anatakitaki

The most famous of the many caves on 'Atiu, which is riddled with limestone caverns complete with stalactites and stalagmites, is Anatakitaki, also known as the 'Kopeka Cave'. A hauntingly large and beautiful cave, it is the home of the kopeka, a rare bird, similar to a swift, which lives only on 'Atiu. You must visit with a local guide.

Aitutaki Lagoon

Aitutaki's marvellous lagoon, dotted with sand bars, coral ridges and 21 uninhabited motu (lagoon islets), is colourful and full of life. Maina Motu offers great snorkelling on the coral formations near its shore and around large powder-white sand bars. Tapuaeta'i (One Foot Island) has a lovely white stretch of beach and brilliant, pale-turquoise water.

Rarotonga

Rarotonga is a lush, beautiful place, fringed with beaches and crowned with mountains at its centre. Two concentric roads ring the island, and most of its attractions are on or near one of them. On the western coast, Άrorangi was the first mission-built village and was meant to be a model village for the rest of the island.

The main place of interest is the 1849 CICC Church, where Papeiha, the islands' first Christian preacher, is buried. Rising up behind Άrorangi is the flat-topped peak of Raemaru, a good destination for a day hike.

The Cook Islands Cultural Village, on Arorangi's back road, is a great experience: you'll learn more about traditional Cook Islands culture in one day here than you probably will for the rest of your stay.

Near the southern coast of the island is Wigmore's Waterfall, where the Papua Stream drops into a cool, natural swimming pool. You can drive all the way to it, though the last stretch is rugged and calls for a 4WD, or take a fine hike from the coast road. You can continue on the Cross-Island Track to Rua Manga (the Needle), a 415m (1360ft) peak with a great view to the northwest and the south.