Mitiaro
A low makatea island with two freshwater lakes and caves holding cool pools.
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Mitiaro is a low island of raised coral with a swampy interior holding two lakes, Rotonui and Rotoiti, where eels and tilapia are caught, and the makatea around them is riddled with caves that hold pools of cold fresh water, filtered through the coral and clear enough to see the bottom. Vai Nauri and Vai Marere are the best known and are used for bathing. The island is one of the least visited in the group. The island's few hundred people live in a single settlement on the western side, and the roads out to the lakes and caves are short but rough.
What you actually see
- The two lakes - Rotonui and Rotoiti in the swampy interior.
- The cave pools - cold clear fresh water filtered through the coral.
- The makatea - the raised coral ring the caves are cut into.
- The quiet - one of the least visited islands in the group.
When to go
May to October is the drier season. Flights from Rarotonga are infrequent. The cave pools are cold year round.
Honest expectations
Flights are infrequent and cancellations are common. Accommodation is a small number of homestays. The makatea is sharp underfoot everywhere.
Nearby
Mauke is south, and Atiu is southwest.
What to pack for Mitiaro
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.
