Things to do in Rarotonga
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Rarotonga
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Dry season. Cooler, lower humidity, least rain and the most reliable lagoon and hiking weather.
Wet season. Warmer and humid with heavy showers, the lushest interior, the cheapest rates and a low cyclone risk highest January to March.
What's on
- Te Maeva Nui late July / early August
National Constitution celebration with a week of competitive drumming, dance and song in Avarua. Book flights and beds months ahead.
- Vaka Eiva November
A week long international outrigger canoe festival around Muri and Avatiu, with sprint and marathon races and shoreside food and music.
- Te Mire Ura around April to May
Dancer of the Year and related cultural competitions, smaller than Te Maeva Nui. Confirm the year's dates with Cook Islands Tourism.
Best things to do in Rarotonga
Muri Lagoon
Wide shallow lagoon with four motu, ideal for a first paddle, wade and swim in calm warm water.
Captain Tama's Lagoon Cruizes
Glass bottom cruise with snorkelling, a barbecue fish lunch on Motu Koromiri and a genuinely funny musical crew.
Koka Lagoon Cruises
The other beloved Muri cruise, with snorkelling, barbecue chicken and sausages and an energetic crew.
Aroa Marine Reserve
Protected lagoon off Aroa Beach with dense reef fish, purple coral, deeper channels and occasional turtles.
Tikioki Marine Reserve
Free off the beach snorkelling in a quiet south coast reserve, walkable from Titikaveka and Muri stays.
Te Vara Nui Village
The big over water island night, with a cultural village tour, buffet and a torchlit dance show on the water.
Highland Paradise
A smaller sunset island night at a reconstructed mountain village, with an umu feast, drumming and dance.
Punanga Nui Market
The island's Saturday gathering for tropical fruit, island food, black pearls, carving, quilting and live music.
Where to stay in Rarotonga
Titikaveka and Tikioki
swimmers and snorkellers, best base overall
The island's best off the beach snorkelling, a wide quiet sandy beach and enough cafes without a strip feel.
Muri
first timers, families and non drivers
The prettiest lagoon and motu, with resorts, restaurants, cruises and the night market all walkable.
Arorangi and Aroa
sunsets, couples and adults only stays
A quieter sunset coast built around Aroa Marine Reserve snorkelling, with the adults only resorts concentrated here.
Vaimaanga
good value south coast base
A small resort stretch on the south coast between Titikaveka and Aroa, at mid prices.
Avarua and the north coast
a first or last night, business or the cheapest motels
The capital has the market, shops, banks and harbour, but it is a practical base rather than a beach base.
Think twice about
- Avarua and the north coast
The lagoon is narrower, rockier and more exposed, and the town shore is working harbour rather than swimming beach.
- Tupapa and the Club Raro strip
The least swimmable resort coast on the island, east of town on the exposed north coast.
- Central Muri
The most developed and busiest stretch, shallow at low tide, with contested lagoon water quality. Poor pick for quiet and clean snorkelling.
Best restaurants in Rarotonga
The Mooring Fish Cafe
A shipping container cafe by Avana harbour serving huge fish sandwiches, sashimi and tacos from the day's catch.
Tamarind House Restaurant & Ukulele Bar
A restored colonial house on lawns to the sea, with local seafood and the island's most polished wine list.
Antipodes
Mediterranean inspired terraces above Black Rock for long slow multi course dinners facing the sunset.
OTB (On The Beach)
Feet in the sand fine dining at sunset, with a Sunday barbecue buffet, string band and large fire show.
Kikau Hut
A garden restaurant where everything is cooked fresh by an all Cook Islander kitchen, strong on local fish.
Takitumu Tapas
Global small plates from a pink dome kitchen, built for sharing and ideal for groups who cannot agree.
Charlie's
Beachfront container cafe bar for huge fresh fish sandwiches, live music and a swim and lunch in one stop.
Muri Night Market
Graze barbecue plates, curries, grilled mahi mahi, rukau and island desserts across a dozen stalls for one cheap dinner.
Outdoor things to do in Rarotonga
Rarotonga Golf Club
The island's only course, a flat walkable 9 holes by the beach with ocean views and low flying planes.
Aitutaki Day Tour
A flight to Aitutaki, a Vaka Cruise lagoon day with snorkelling, barbecue lunch and time on One Foot Island.
Avaavaroa Passage
A guided two hour snorkel in a south coast passage where green turtles feed, with lifeguard guides and small groups.
Scuba diving the outer reef
Two tank boat mornings on outer reef walls, canyons and drop offs with turtles, reef sharks and eagle rays.
Whale watching
Humpbacks pass close to the west coast from July to October, on respectful distance keeping boat trips.
KiteSUP
Guided night stand up paddle on light fitted boards over a glowing lagoon, sometimes with fire performance.
Deep-sea fishing
Half or full day charters beyond the reef for yellowfin tuna, mahi mahi, wahoo and marlin around the FADs.
Cross Island Track
The signature hike past the Needle pinnacle through rainforest, ending with a swim at Papua Waterfall.
Best hotels in Rarotonga
Little Polynesian Resort
Fourteen beachfront bungalows and garden studios with a saltwater infinity pool over the Titikaveka lagoon.
Nautilus Resort
Eighteen Muri villas, every one with a private saltwater plunge pool, plus a well regarded restaurant and spa.
Rumours Luxury Villas & Spa
Small adults only luxury villas with plunge pools and a spa at the quieter northern end of Muri Beach.
Pacific Resort Rarotonga
A full service garden resort on Muri Beach and the best Muri choice for families who want everything on site.
Sea Change Villas
Modern self catering villas on the quiet south coast, the mid tier sweet spot for Titikaveka water and space.
Muri Beachcomber
Self contained garden units on Muri Beach with free kayaks, paddleboards, snorkel gear and barbecues.
Manuia Beach Resort
Adults only beachfront boutique on the sunset coast by Aroa Reserve, and home to OTB restaurant.
Sanctuary Rarotonga-on-the-Beach
Adults only sister property sitting directly on the Aroa Reserve beach on the sunset coast.
Is Rarotonga expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | NZ$120 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | NZ$300 a person |
| Splurge | NZ$650 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Captain Tama's Lagoon Cruizes: a few days ahead
- Koka Lagoon Cruises: a few days ahead
- Te Vara Nui Village: a few days ahead
- Highland Paradise: a few days ahead
- Rarotonga Golf Club: a few days ahead
- Aitutaki Day Tour: weeks ahead
- Avaavaroa Passage: a few days ahead
- Scuba diving the outer reef: a few days ahead
- Aitutaki flights and the day tour sell out weeks ahead in July to September and around Te Maeva Nui.
- Te Vara Nui and Highland Paradise need booking days ahead, ideally through your accommodation.
- Antipodes, Tamarind House and OTB on Sunday should be booked on arrival at the latest.
- The best Titikaveka and Muri holiday homes can book up to a year ahead for peak season.
Is Rarotonga safe?
- Never swim or snorkel out through a reef passage. The outward current has killed strong swimmers.
- Wear reef shoes, clean coral cuts the same day, and use reef safe sunscreen or a rash guard in the reserves.
- Petty theft from cars and beach bags is the realistic crime risk. Leave nothing visible in a parked car.
- Night scooter riding after drinking is the classic avoidable disaster. Take a taxi instead.
- Get travel insurance with medical evacuation cover. Auckland is about a four hour flight away.
Rarotonga travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Do not treat Muri as best beach shorthand. It is the prettiest lagoon but shallow, and its water quality is contested.
- Resort island nights are convenient, but the standalone shows at Te Vara Nui and Highland Paradise are rated higher.
- Papua Waterfall underwhelms as a standalone trip in a dry week. Go as the end of the Cross Island Track.
- Buy black pearls from established shops with grading explained, not from urgency tactics near the wharf.
Getting around Rarotonga: public transport and more
- One 32 km ring road circles the island. Clockwise and Anticlockwise buses cost about NZ$5 one way and stop almost anywhere if flagged.
- Buses thin out on Sundays and stop in the evening, so a late dinner across the island needs a taxi or a driver.
- Scooters are the island default. Helmets are required and roads are unlit, with wandering dogs and chickens.
- There are no ride hail apps. Taxis are phoned, not hailed, so agree the fare first.
Who Rarotonga suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Rarotonga your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
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