Mangaia: the oldest island in the Pacific
Mangaia is the southernmost of the Cook Islands and the second largest. Geologists put it at roughly 18 million years old, which makes it one of the oldest islands in the Pacific.
The makatea
A ring of fossilised coral cliff surrounds the island — in places over 60 metres high and more than a kilometre wide. It is jagged, largely impenetrable, and it defines everything about how people live here: where the roads go, where the crops grow, where the caves are.
The interior
Inside the ring is a fertile plateau and wetland, reached through cut passages in the cliff. Some of those passages were made into steps by hand generations ago.
The island today
Around 500 people, its own traditional leadership, and a strong sense of independence from Rarotonga. Very few visitors get here, and that is much of the appeal.
No operators listed on Mangaia yet
People are reading about Mangaia 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.