Cook Islands Beaches
Cayenne beachesHowever, once you are sufficiently tanned, Cook Islands has much more to boast than just relaxing on its beautiful coasts. Here is a selection of other things you can do in the Cook Islands to make your trip something really unique. Atiu, the third biggest chefs' paradise, is luxuriant and tropic, surrounded by jungles, largely unspoiled by tourism and its only 400 inhabitants.
This volcano is fringed by secret hollows, making it the ideal place to discover the past. The Cook Islands, as already noted, are criss-crossed by grottos and cave, many of which are subterraneous. A subterranean sea, Vai Nouri, is said to have curative properties, and Te Pitakare is an subterranean fresh running cave used as potable mineral spring by the island's 200 inhabitants - so keep your stinking legs away!
You will probably reach this mainland, and although it is the liveliest part of the islands, it is definitely a good idea to stay here before going in quest of solitude. Much of the Cook Islands culture is made up of this. One of the most beloved souvenirs for the visitor to the islands is a series of dark beads grown from cayfields.
They can be bought in many places around the Cook but it is definitely a good idea to trace them back to their Manihiki well. It is unlikely that you will find a gift that better embodies the soul of this islander. Cook Islands produce some of the best Arabica coffees in the hemisphere, most of which come from the Atiu Islands plants.
Right, we're going to bend our'no beaches' rules a little here, because Rakahanga, one of the most remote and therefore least frequented of the Cook Islands, must be seen while it's still possible. It is so deep that it runs the danger of becoming a victim of climate change and of sliding under the sea forever.
Things are never frantic in the Cook Islands, but it is the most laid-back and friendliest place to be, all in the face of the threat of extinction.