Mangaia
The southernmost Cook Island, ringed by a high makatea and reckoned very old geologically.
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Mangaia is the southernmost of the Cook Islands and is ringed by a makatea, a wall of raised fossil coral up to sixty metres high, that makes the coast almost impassable and encloses a volcanic interior of taro terraces and hills. The island is often described as among the oldest in the Pacific, with the rock dated to well over ten million years. Burial caves in the makatea hold the remains of earlier generations.
What you actually see
- The makatea ring - a wall of raised fossil coral up to sixty metres high.
- The volcanic interior - the hills and taro terraces enclosed by the coral.
- The burial caves - the chambers in the makatea holding earlier generations.
- The great age - rock dated to well over ten million years.
When to go
May to October is the drier season. Flights from Rarotonga are infrequent and cancelled in weather. Accommodation is very limited.
Honest expectations
Flights are infrequent and being stuck for days is possible. Accommodation is a handful of small guesthouses. The makatea is sharp and shoes matter.
Nearby
Te Rua Rere is on the island, and Rarotonga is northwest.
What to pack for Mangaia
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
