Aitutaki Lagoon Escape

A relaxed day to sample the best of Rarotonga before you head out to the lagoon. You might circle the little island by scooter or on the circle-island bus, stopping at hidden beaches and village churches, snorkel the marine reserve at beautiful Muri or Titikaveka lagoon, browse the black-pearl shops and cafes of Avarua, or hike a short way into the lush green interior. Equally, you could simply relax by the sea with a book and a cocktail. Rarotonga is small, safe and wonderfully easy-going, and its mix of culture, greenery and gentle beaches makes a lovely counterpoint to the days of pure lagoon bliss to come. As the sun sets, enjoy a fresh seafood dinner at a beachside restaurant and toast the island escape that awaits.

This morning you transfer for the short, scenic flight to Aitutaki. As the plane banks low over the lagoon, its breathtaking palette of turquoise and jade unfurls beneath you, scattered with palm-topped motu, a view that alone makes the journey worthwhile. On arrival you are garlanded and transferred to your beachfront or overwater retreat, opening straight onto the water. The rest of the day is yours to sink into paradise, swimming in the bath-warm shallows, snorkelling the coral off your beach, or simply lazing in a hammock as the reef murmurs beyond. Aitutaki is tiny, sleepy and utterly unspoiled, and the sense of having arrived somewhere truly special settles over you as the sun slips into the Pacific in a blaze of colour, the first of many unforgettable sunsets.

Today you experience the wonder that draws travellers across the world, a full-day cruise on the Aitutaki lagoon. Aboard a local boat you glide across water in a hundred shades of blue, stopping to snorkel over coral gardens alive with giant clams, rays and clouds of tropical fish, and to wade the impossibly clear shallows between deserted motu. The crew share island legends, strum ukuleles and crack open fresh coconuts as you drift from one dreamlike spot to the next. The highlight is One Foot Island, a tiny palm-fringed islet with a perfect beach, where you can have your passport stamped at the world's smallest post office, swim in dazzling water and feast on a barbecue of freshly grilled fish. Utterly relaxed and impossibly beautiful, it is the kind of day that stays with you for a lifetime.

A full day to enjoy Aitutaki exactly as you please. You might kayak or paddleboard across the lagoon, snorkel the coral straight off your beach, join an optional bonefishing trip, take a scenic flight over that unforgettable water, or cycle the sleepy island past taro fields and churches. Equally, you might do nothing more than move from hammock to sun lounger and back, cocktail in hand, watching the light shift across the lagoon. On Sundays, a village church service reveals the Cook Islanders' extraordinary harmony singing, moving even for non-believers. Wherever the day takes you, the warmth of the people and the beauty of the surroundings make it hard to imagine anywhere more restful, and a leisurely dinner of fresh fish by the water rounds off another perfect day in paradise.

Another blissful, unhurried day on the lagoon, to fill however you wish or not at all. Perhaps a second snorkelling trip to the outer reef, a stand-up paddle at dawn when the water is mirror-calm, a spa treatment, or a picnic on a deserted motu arranged just for you. Many visitors find that by now they have slipped fully into island time, and the day passes in a happy blur of swims, coconuts and the endless, mesmerising colours of the water. As your Aitutaki stay draws to a close, a special farewell dinner by the lagoon celebrates the days of pure relaxation, and you watch a final, spectacular sunset over the water, already reluctant to leave this rare and beautiful corner of the Pacific.

After a last barefoot morning by the lagoon, perhaps a final swim in that gemstone water, you are transferred to Aitutaki airport for your flight back to Rarotonga and onward international departure. You leave rested, sun-kissed and quietly changed, with sand between your toes and the warmth of the islands in your heart. The days of swimming, snorkelling and doing gloriously little at all have worked their quiet magic, and the endless turquoise of the lagoon is now etched in your memory. Aitutaki has a way of staying with those who visit, and you leave already dreaming of a return to this rare and beautiful island, and to the incomparable lagoon that draws travellers from across the world.