9 Best Caves on Mauke

A short walk from Ngatiarua 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: Accessible off the main road in Ngatiarua. Ask locals where to find the trail. Alternatively, Vai Tango Cave is included on island tours.

This cave can be found on the way to The Giant Banyan Tree of Mauke (which you can learn more about in the 15 Best Things to Do on Mauke). The trail to the Vai Moti and the tree can be found along the main road between Areora village and A'anga Beach.

From the roadside, take a 15-minute trail to Vai Moti, a small cave with a swimming hole where you can take a quick dip!

Location: There is a clearing on the road to the start of this trail between Areora village and A'anga Beach on the east coast. As the trail is difficult to find, it is best to explore this area with a guide, which can be arranged through your accommodation.

From the Giant Banyan Tree (mentioned above), if you continue on the trail for a further 500 m (550 yards), you will reach Motuanga Cave, also known as "The Cave with 100 Rooms". While this cave was once accessible for exploring its passages and underground pool, the chambers have collapsed in recent years, rendering the cave largely inaccessible.

Location: Along the trail to the Banyan Tree and Vai Moti. There is a clearing on the road to the start of this trail between Areora village and A'anga Beach on the east coast. As the trail is difficult to find, it is best to explore this area with a guide, which can be arranged through your accommodation.

Hidden away on Kopupooki Beach is an open cave with a swimming pool inside! On the trail just after Tiare Cottages, a hanging buoy indicates where to walk down to the beach. 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!

Location: East side of Mauke. On the coastal road, take the first turnoff toward the sea after Tiare Cottages. Learn more about Tiare Cottages in The Best Mauke Accommodations.

Opposite One'unga Beach in the north of the island is a rough trail through the bush. After about a 15-minute walk, you'll reach the steep passage down to Vai Ou, where a murky pool invites you for a swim.

Location: Access is from a trail opposite One'unga Beach on the north coast of the island. It's best to go with a guide, which can be arranged through your accommodation.

Continuing from Vai Ou (see point #5 above), from the rock bridge that spans over the pool of Vai Ou, take a hard left and walk for another five minutes to find Vai Moraro also known as "The Crawling Cave" due to the fact that the only way in is through a slit in the rockface. Inside are some small but deep salty pools.

Location: Along the trail to Vai Ou (see above). Access is from a trail opposite One'unga Beach on the north coast of the island. It's best to go with a guide, which can be arranged through your accommodation.

The final cave on the trail opposite One'unga Beach, Vai Tumamea, is about a three-minute walk east of Vai Moraro (see point #6 above). This is an almost vertical sinkhole that ends with a pool.

Location: At the end of the Vai Ou and Vai Moraro trail (see above). Access is from a trail opposite One'unga Beach on the north coast of the island. It's best to go with a guide, which can be arranged through your accommodation.

A carved wooden sign points out the trail to this swimming cave on the southwest inland road. There is a rope to help guide you down to the bottom of Vai Ngaro where you can explore and go for a swim!

The local villages have received funding to improve access to this cave, so hopefully, it will be easier to find once you arrive there! Otherwise, ask the local kids for directions, it's usually their favourite swimming spot.

Location: Southwest island road between Areora village and Tukume Landing.

A walk over gnarled tree roots over the makatea eventually leads you to this less-visited cave on Mauke. Vai Ma'u cave entrance is like a gateway to the underworld! The area is also a popular crab-trapping area, with coconut traps to lure the prized unga (coconut crabs).

Location: Southwest coast, off the coastal road between Tukume and Rererua Beaches. The trail is hard to find, so it's best visited with a guide.