Anatakitaki Cave and the kopeka

📍 Atiu, Cook Islands

Where

Atiu — guided access only

Opening hours

Half-day tour, usually morning

Typical cost

Guided tours are typically around NZD 50 per person

Anatakitaki is the cave people come to Atiu for. Reaching it means a walk through dense forest and across makatea — uplifted fossil coral, jagged and unforgiving underfoot — and then down into a series of chambers with stalactites, high cathedral ceilings and clear cold pools.

The kopeka

The cave is home to the kopeka, a small swiftlet that nests deep in the dark and finds its way by clicking, in the manner of a bat. Hearing them overhead in a black chamber is the part people describe afterwards.

Swimming

There are freshwater pools inside. The water is cold and the swim is usually by torch or candlelight, which sounds like a gimmick and is not.

Practical

A guide is required. There are no marked trails and the makatea is easy to get lost in.
Book through your accommodation or the island information centre.
Two to three hours. Take water.

💡 Local tip

Closed shoes with grip, not sandals. The makatea is fossilised coral and it is genuinely sharp — this is the walk where footwear decides whether you enjoy the day.

Listed as a local guide entry — not bookable through CI Booking. Details can change; it is worth confirming before you go.

For local operators

No operators listed on Atiu yet

People are reading about Atiu and finding nowhere to book. If you run accommodation, tours, vehicle hire or transport here, you would be the first listed — and the only option visitors see on this page.

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