If you’re coming to Rarotonga, it’s likely you’ll be spending a lot of time at the beach.
I’ve been all over the world and the Cook Islands has the best beaches I’ve ever seen. Period!
- The water is crystal clear.
- The water is WARM.
- The sand is soft and golden.
- There are all kinds of fish, starfish, crabs, corals, turtles to enjoy – you don’t even need to take a boat out somewhere, they’re just metres from the shore.
- The beach is always close! No matter where you stay on the island, you will be no more than a five minute drive from the beach, and probably much closer.
- Best part – the beaches are empty! Even during busy season, you will have no trouble finding a quiet beach with just a handful of people, or even nobody!
While you might find a beach somewhere in the world with softer sand or warmer water or whatever else, you will be hard pressed to find a beach that has all of the above.
While Rarotonga is small, there are definitely good beaches and better beaches and the best beaches, so in this guide I’m going to break down for you all the main beaches of Raro and which ones you might enjoy the most.
Map Of Rarotonga Beaches

As you go through the guide, refer to this map to locate the beaches I’m talking about.
Rarotonga is not a big island (you can drive around it in less than an hour) but knowing exactly which spot on the island you’re driving towards will be very helpful to you as you hunt down these spots.
Arorangi Beach
Arorangi is located on the western side of the island, and that entire stretch can be considered Arorangi Beach.
The water is calm on this side (usually), as there is a reef about 300 metres out that locks the water in like a swimming pool. Not quite as calm as the south side of the island, but still great for relaxing and snorkelling.
Arorangi Beach stretches for about 5 kilometres, and you can find some truly beautiful spots for a quiet day in the sand. Let me break down some of them for you.
Edgewater

Edgewater is a popular resort in Rarotonga, as they’re well-known for doing packages with Air NZ. The beach outside Edgewater is a decent spot for snorkelling, but far from the best on the island.
If you’re staying at Edgewater though, it’s a good spot to enjoy since it’s right on your doorstep, the water is usually clean and not too choppy.
Manuia Resort and OTB (On The Beach) Restaurant
This is a bit further south from Edgewater, and the beach here is slightly better because the water is often calmer and the sand is a bit less shelly. The water is crystal clear! OTB also has a fantastic restaurant that opens out onto the sand. Even if you’re not staying at the hotel, you’re welcome to come in and have a drink, and the beach is not private, meaning you can just walk down from any public entry point (it’s about a fifteen minute walk along the beach from Edgewater).

Great spot to spend a day and some lunch or dinner at OTB.
In my opinion this is also the best spot on the island to enjoy the sunset. Truly breathtaking!

You can get here by simply walking along the beach until you see the OTB pool and restaurant opening out onto the sand, or if you’re coming for lunch, just enter through the road at Manuia Resort.
Raro Backpackers/Falafel Shack
Another kilometre down you have Falafel Shack. This is an unassuming tent on the grassy bank just behind the sand that sells Mediterranean food and wraps and just good fast meals that are perfect for a beach day.

They’re well known on the island and you should see the little “Falafel Shack” sign on the road as you’re driving through Arorangi.
The beach here is gorgeous and again, clear like a swimming pool. If you want a chilled out spot to enjoy some beach bumming with delicious, affordable food on hand, this is the perfect spot.
If you walk just a few minutes north, you’ll come to Raro Backpackers which is also a great spot for swimming. You’ll know it from the swing hanging outside the bungalows.

Aroa Beach
As you head south from Arorangi, just before you reach the Rarotongan Hotel, you’ll find a spot that many consider the best snorkelling spot on the island (not me – my favourite is shared further below!)
Some people just call it “The Rarotongan Beach” as it leads into the Rarotongan Resort on one end, but its proper name is Aroa Beach.

The reason people rate is so highly is because the water is deep, glassy, and there are lots of fish and other marine life around. In other parts of Arorangi Beach you can be dodging rocks and coral because the water is quite shallow, but here you won’t have that issue and it’s a couple metres deep in most places.
When I lived on Rarotonga there was a swim club that set up lane ropes here like a swimming pool, and we’d do training laps with the triathletes and swimmers, because it really is like one big pool in the ocean. And the water is spotless!


To get here, keep driving south towards the Rarotongan until you come to this parking bay, just opposite the Kaena Restaurant.


Beautiful spot – definitely check it out.
YWAM
This is the “swim with the turtles” spot.
When I lived on Raro I came here alone, which was okay because people thought I was a local and I’m also a competitive swimmer. However – if you’re a tourist, do not come swimming here alone.
The currents here are very strong (it’s true – I can attest) and several people have even died here in the past. It’s one of the few places on the island that has swimming warning signs up that warn you not to swim without a guide or lifeguard.

As a result the government requires you to only swim here with a qualified guide, of which there are several. If you do come alone, you may get asked to leave, and there are private property signs all over the place.
The turtles are quite incredible though, so if you’d like to swim with them, definitely sign up for a tour and take your GoPro!

Just look for YWAM on the map, you’ll see all the turtle tour and private property signs right beside it.

Queen’s Beach
I don’t know the real name of this beach, my friends call it Queen’s Beach because it’s opposite the residence of the Queen’s Representative.

Everyone knows it though, because you drive past it often and it’s marked with the blue logs along the footpath.

Beautiful beach to the see the sunset, and the sand and water itself is also stunning, the only issue is it’s quite small, and there aren’t many trees for shade.
Great place to take a swim though – I swim there often as the water is often calm and very clear!

To get here, just look for the Residence of the Representative Of The Queen on Google Maps and look out for the blue logs as you drive by. If you’re walking on Papa’aroa Beach, you’ll naturally cross past here too.
Papa’Aroa Beach
For which Raro beaches have truly taken my breath away, Papa’Aroa at sunset is top of the list.
On a clear day, the water is so unbelievably clear, the sand so soft and white, and the sunset reinforces your belief that God must be real because how else is something so beautiful even possible?

I used to live near here and taking a morning and evening walk on this beach each day was always the highlight of my day.

Depending on the season, the water can be a bit rougher and the sand can get a bit rocky/shelly, but it’s still a gorgeous beach to walk.
The downside is there isn’t much else around, so bring your own drinks and snacks.
To get to Papa’aroa Beach, just look for Papa’aroa College on Google Maps, the parking bay for the beach is right opposite. It’s also marked as “Tu Meke Beach” on Google Maps.


Titikaveka Beach
Personally I think this beach is overrated, people think it’s top tier but I never found it that impressive.
A good place to enjoy Titikaveka Beach is Charlies Restaurant which overlooks the water, the food there is excellent so you can go for a well deserved feed after an afternoon of swimming.


Part of the reason the beach isn’t that great is because many expensive resorts are around here and their beach access is private.
However, you can still get there by entering at a place like Charlie’s and walking down (none of the beach itself is private, only the access roads).
The beach is quite long so feel free to go walkabouts and explore – it stretches a good distance on either side.
Tikioki Beach
Tikioki Beach has a special place in my heart – I lived in Tikioki on my first stay in Raro and did my swim training here. It’s a beautiful, secluded spot where the water is deep and azure blue, I used to feel like I was swimming in my own personal fish tank.

The water can be 50/50 – it’s choppy on some days and pure glass on others, so you just need to work with the weather. But when you get a good day, this is definitely the best snorkelling spot on the island if you ask me!
To get to Tikioki Beach, the best place to access is to look for Fruits of Rarotonga (it’s a small cafe) which you should find on Google Maps. A small parking bay is just opposite which is for Tikioki Beach. You can also look for Chantal’s Concierge which is right beside Fruits Of Rarotonga. Chantal’s rent out snorkelling gear and give you a place to leave your car keys/belongings.

This is not a well known spot, so keep it hush, and enjoy it!
Muri Lagoon
The Muri Lagoon is probably the most famous beach spot on Rarotonga, maybe on par with Aroa Beach. Many of the top resorts are located on this beach or close by. It’s not a surprise – the lagoon is beautiful and straight out of a postcard.


There are a couple of small islands people like to swim or paddle to on a SUP or kayak, and also boat tours run throughout the day.
The best way to get to the Muri Lagoon is to look for the road that heads to Muri Beach Club Hotel.

Turn down and drive past the netball courts, when you get to the Muri Beach Club, don’t turn in, just keep driving, and you’ll come to the public parking lot, just outside the sports club.


This might be the best place on the island to enjoy a true day at the beach – boat rides, kayaks, snorkelling, lots of white sand to sunbathe and enjoy a picnic of your own. You can also try the food at Muri Beach Club, who will be happy to serve you. It’s excellent!

East Coast
The East Coast of the island is not great for beaching – the water is usually more choppy and rocky along this coastline and not many spots are frequented by beachgoers.

You can still explore the coast on this side but the other areas in this list are much better for enjoying a day of sand and sun.
Nikao Social Centre
Nikao Social Centre is a local favourite, and near Christmas time it’s a tradition for families to set up tents along here and literally live on this beach for a few weeks.
It’s a long flat beach with beautiful calm and warm waters, and most days there are food trucks in the Nikao Market just behind the sand selling things like fish and chips, ice cream, pizza and so on.

On a clear day, you can expect a lot of locals coming to spend the day here, setting up umbrellas on the sand and enjoying a family day with picnics, swimming sand and fun!

To get to Nikao Social Centre, just keep driving along the main road and look for the volleyball courts – you should see the Nikao Social Centre sign just opposite.

Black Rock
Leaving the best ’til last, we have Black Rock.
Just a few minutes down the road from Nikao Social Centre, Black Rock is exactly what the name suggests – it’s a big black rock sitting the ocean, and around the rock is a favourite swimming spot for locals.

You’ll park atop a low cliff, and then climb down the rocks (it’s not that steep, don’t worry) to get to the water.
What makes Black Rock so great?
Firstly, this is the cleanest ocean on Raro. First, because it’s not close to any hotels, so there is no dumping or runoff here.
Secondly, the way this part of the ocean is set up, it’s like a lagoon but the water gets flushed on both sides. So there are large amounts of fresh water being washed in and out every day. Everywhere on Raro has clear water, but Black Rock is exceptional.
Finally, the water is glassy and it really is like a big swimming pool.
The downside of Black Rock is there’s no restaurant or hotel or food trucks up on the sand like there are on most other popular beaches on Raro, but if you’re looking for beautiful clear water to swim in, there’s no better spot than here.
Black Rock isn’t hard to find – if you head towards it on the map, you’ll come to this parking bay. Park there and you’ll see the rock at the bottom of the rock cliff.

Heading To Rarotonga?
Need a cheap flight? I use Kiwi! Best prices, great support.
For travel insurance, I always use World Nomads – get protected for just a few dollars a day!
Somewhere to stay? Booking.com gives you the biggest selection and the best rates.
You might also want to check out my Rarotonga Accommodation Guide for help on where to stay!