Aitutaki Accommodation, Cook Islands

Aitutaki is a very laid back outer island with little commercial aspects and in tune with this there are no large resorts on the island. Of the three small Aitutaki resorts to choose from, the largest has just 37 rooms. Holiday-makers visiting Aitutaki will find the main island small enough to explore in a day although you could easily spend a week cruising around the vast central lagoon with its fringing motu islands, snorkelling amongst giant clams, spotting nesting sea-birds and leaving perfect footprints in an otherwise untouched sandy beach. Or you can simply lie back in a hammock strung under the shade of two coconut trees and chill out for the day.

Aitutaki Island

Most accommodation on Aitutaki is found along the sandy north-west coast with a good snorkelling lagoon. There is a second cluster at Ootu Point where day cruises for the lagoon depart.

 

Resorts on Aitutaki Island: Our Picks

• Tamanu Hotel - luxury villas on the beach
• Aitutaki Villas - great value beach bungalows

Aitutaki Lagoon

The lagoon is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Cook Islands with plenty of coral reefs and fish. Most people experience the lagoon on a day cruise but you can stay overnight:

 

Resorts in Aitutaki Lagoon: Our Picks

• Aitutaki Resort - luxury beach resort off Ootu Point
• Samade Beach - bungalows facing the lagoon

Most Aitutaki accommodation is located on the north-west coast of the main island., just north of Arutanga Village, the hub of trade on the island. This stretch of coast has the nicest beach on the main island and excellent snorkelling off the beach. There is another collection of bungalows at Ootu Point on the southern tip of the island facing the lagoon and from where most day cruises depart. Ootu has a much narrower strip of sand but has a beautiful outlook to the offshore islands and the meandering lagoon here is shallow and great for swimming and kayaking.

There are only a couple of places to stay on the offshore islands: which remain almost completely uninhabited except for tourists visiting on day cruises and locals visiting to tend garden plantations and fish in the lagoons. Please view our recommended Aitutaki hotels from the links below for detailed information including room interior photos and independent reviews.

Aitutaki Hotel Directory
Top Picks
Hotel Name (click for details & pix)	Picture of Hotel	Summary (style)	Hotel Rate (NZ$)	Our Best Rate (click for quote)
Aitutaki Lagoon Resort Ootu, Aitutaki Lagoon		37 rooms Island Resort	$ 710 - 1,395
Samade on the Beach Ootu, Aitutaki Lagoon		12 rooms Bungalows	$ 300
Aitutaki Beach Villas North Aitutaki		5 rooms Bungalows	$ 180 - 250
Highly Recommended
Hotel Name (click for details & pix)	Picture of Hotel	Summary (style)	Hotel Rate (NZ$)	Our Best Rate (click for quote)
Pacific Resort Aitutaki North Aitutaki		28 rooms Resort	1,080 - 1,980
Tamanu Beach Hotel North Aitutaki		24 rooms Resort / Hotel	$ 370 - 550
Inano Beach Ootu, Aitutaki Lagoon		7 rooms Bungalows	$ 130 - 170
Recommended
Hotel Name (click for details & pix)	Picture of Hotel	Summary (style)	Hotel Rate (NZ$)	Our Best Rate (click for quote)
Akaiami Lodge Motu, Aitutaki Lagoon		3 rooms Bungalows	$ 600
Etu Moana Bungalows North Aitutaki		8 rooms Bungalows	$ 465 - 590
Aretai Beach Villas North Aitutaki		3 rooms Bungalows	$ 300
Gina's Garden Lodges South Aitutaki		4 rooms Units	$ 120

Aitutaki Travel Information

There are five to eight daily flights to Aitutaki from Rarotonga, but no reliable passenger ferry. The large island is the only one with villages although there is no public bus around the island. Car and moped hire is readily available, there are a couple of independent restaurants, a shop and supermarket in the main village. Four tour companies offer day cruises around the lagoon or you can hire a private water taxi.