Nature & Wildlife
Mauke, the Garden Island
Where
Mauke
Opening hours
Daylight
Typical cost
Free
Mauke is small — under 20 square kilometres, with fewer than 300 people — and it is called the Garden Island for good reason. The soil in the makatea fissures is unusually fertile and the island is noticeably green.
Maire
Mauke is known for maire, the fragrant vine used in ei — the garlands worn across the Cook Islands for welcomes, church and celebration. A good deal of what you see on Rarotonga started here.
Walking
The island is flat and small enough to see on foot or by bike, and that is the best way to take in the gardens, the plantations and the villages.
💡 Local tip
If you are offered an ei — a flower garland — wear it. Refusing or removing it quickly reads as a snub, and on Mauke the maire in it very likely grew a few hundred metres away.
Listed as a local guide entry — not bookable through CI Booking. Details can change; it is worth confirming before you go.