10 Best Caves in the Cook Islands

At the southern end of the Cook Islands' second-largest island, Mangaia, there is what many believe to be the grandest cave on the island. If you can arrange a tour here, you won’t regret it.

Tuatini Cave is extensive and largely untouched, characterised by magnificent stalagmites, stalactites and crystalline floors, walls and ceilings. The local guides will show you a vast portion of the cave, share stories of their ancestors (showing you cooking instruments and fish hooks that remain), and point out prehistoric crabs that still inhabit the area.

Location: Mangaia. Explore the 5 Best Caves on Mangaia for information on locations and guidance on booking a tour.

By far the best swimming cave in the Cook Islands, Vai Nauri holds a deep pool with clear deep blue waters and striking limestone features. This cave on the island of Mitiaro has a set of steps down to the pool or you can clamber around the pool and jump off a 3 m (3.3 yards) outcrop into the deep waters.

Try to get there on weekdays when the kids are in school to experience the eerie silence of this cave as you’re floating under a canopy of dripping stalactites. It's also one of the few caves in the Cook Islands that you don't need a guide to visit.

Location: Mitiaro. Check out the 5 Best Caves on Mitiaro for locations.

Embark on an unforgettable adventure to explore the fascinating Anatakitaki Cave, also known as the Kopeka Bird Caves. This 2-3 hour journey takes you through dense rainforest on a 30-40 minute hike (each way) to reach the cave system.

Once inside, you'll marvel at impressive limestone formations, have the opportunity to swim in a cool cave pool, and experience the thrill of complete darkness as kopeka birds soar overhead using echolocation.

Tours run at 9 am or 2 pm and are suitable for able-bodied participants. Don't forget to bring strong, non-slip footwear, mosquito repellent, water, and swimwear.

Transfers from your accommodation are included, making it easy to join this unique Atiuan experience. Book your caving adventure with Anatakitaki Cave Tours for an unforgettable glimpse into Atiu's natural wonders and rare wildlife.

Location: Atiu. Check out the 5 Best Caves on Atiu for locations and advice on how to get a tour there.

A short walk from a nearby village, Vai Tanga Cave is the easiest (and best) cave to visit on Mauke. There’s a 500 m (550 yards) trail through gardens and jungle to this popular swimming hole with a platform to make getting in (and out) a breeze.

Location: Mauke. Check out the 10 Best Caves on Mauke for locations.

The only sulphur pool in the Cook Islands, Vai Marere is known among the locals of Mitiaro for its healing minerals. Bathe in the healing waters yourself by finding this easy-to-miss cave pool after a 10-minute walk from Mangarei village.

It looks small from the roadside, but as you go down the concrete stairs, the cave opens up into a relatively large cavern with stalactites hanging from the ceiling. The water is a little murkier than the other cave pools mentioned on this list of caves on Mitiaro, but that might be due to the sulphur content.

Find more experiences on the island in the 15 Best Things to Do on Mitiaro.

Location: Mitiaro. Check out the 5 Best Caves on Mitiaro for locations.

Contending with Tuatini Cave (see point #1 above) as the best cave on Mangaia, Te Rua Rere Cave is definitely worth exploring if you can fit it in. Your local guide will take you from a magnificent chamber, with stalactites and stalagmites and distinct patches of crystals that glitter in the torchlight, deep into the narrow tunnels.

It’s an adventurous journey of scrambling over rocks, clinging to overhangs and avoiding drops. See more Mangaia experiences in the 15 Best Things to Do on Mangaia.

Location: Mangaia. Explore the 5 Best Caves on Mangaia for information on locations and how to book a tour.

Vai Tamaroa on Mitiaro requires a little walking to get to, but is well worth the hike. Spot the white-painted sign for the 1985 Boys Brigade from the roadside (it was the project that set up this trail) and begin!

The trail is easy enough to follow without a guide if you pay attention as you scramble over grassy makatea inland. Allow around 20 minutes of walking to finally reach Vai Tamaroa, a 10 m (10.9 yards) deep circular hole with a pool filling most of it. Be prepared for a bit of climbing in and out.

Location: Mitiaro. Check out the 5 Best Caves on Mitiaro for locations.

Hidden away on Kopupooki Beach on Mauke is an open cave with a swimming pool inside! Once on the beach, walk down the beach/reef to your left when facing the ocean.

Go around the outcrop and you’ll find a small cave (hence the name “Stomach Rock“) with a pool inside, ideal for a swim! You can only reach this cave at low tide. Make sure you’re out of there before the tide comes in!

See what else you can do on Mauke with our 15 Best Things to Do on Mauke.

Location: Mauke. Check out the 9 Best Caves on Mauke for locations.

This cave can also be found on Mauke on the way to the island's famous Giant Banyan Tree (which you can learn more about in the 15 Best Things to Do on Mauke).

From the roadside between Areora village and A’anga Beach, take a 15-minute trail to Vai Moti, a small cave with a swimming hole where you a take a quick dip!

Location: Mauke. Check out the 10 Best Caves on Mauke for locations and advice on how to get a tour there.

One of many burial caves across the Cook Islands, Rimu Rau on Atiu. Here, you’ll see well-preserved skeletal remains, adding to the spooky atmosphere. Although it’s not certain what caused the approximately 30 bodies to be buried in this cave, your guide, if you can find one, will tell you the opposing legends. During our last visit, the landowners were no longer providing tours, but it's always worth asking around if the opportunity presents itself again.

Note that this may not be the cave to visit if you’re claustrophobic…

See more experiences on the island of Atiu in our 20 Best Things to Do on Atiu.

Location: Atiu. Check out the 5 Best Caves on Atiu for locations and advice on how to get a tour there.