Aitutaki Lagoon hosts Motu2Motu from 1 December
Published on 11/07/2026 at 16:02 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSRace format and island setting
- Cook Islands Tourism lists Motu2Motu Aitutaki from 1 to 3 December 2026 at Aitutaki Lagoon.
- The international race covers 36 kilometres through seven legs and six changeovers with mixed crews of 12.
- Official tourism information describes Aitutaki Lagoon as a reef-fringed lagoon with 16 motus and domestic flights from Rarotonga.
Aitutaki Lagoon hosts Motu2Motu Aitutaki from 1 to 3 December 2026 in Aitutaki, Cook Islands. The international outrigger canoe event turns the lagoon into a three-day race course, with the official listing placing the competition across seven legs and six changeovers.
Motu2Motu Aitutaki runs from 1 to 3 December
Cook Islands Tourism lists Motu2Motu Aitutaki as a sports event at Aitutaki Lagoon in Aitutaki from Tuesday, 1 December, to Thursday, 3 December 2026. Its event page describes an international outrigger canoe changeover race that brings paddlers from across the Pacific and beyond to the lagoon.
The listed format covers 36 kilometres, seven legs and six changeovers, with mixed crews of 12. The public event entry identifies the venue and the race format, but it does not publish daily start times or a race-by-race timetable. The official event listing therefore gives travellers a confirmed date and venue without a detailed schedule.
A lagoon shaped for a changeover race
The venue is a reef-fringed lagoon surrounding Aitutaki, an island in the southern Cook Islands. Cook Islands Tourism describes the lagoon as containing 16 motus, the local term for small islets, alongside the main island. That combination of open water and scattered islands provides the geographical setting for a race built around changes between crews and legs.
Background information from the Cook Islands visitor guide places Aitutaki 259 kilometres north of Rarotonga and records the lagoon as extending across 50 square kilometres. The same guide says the deepest water reaches 10.5 metres, while three quarters of the lagoon is 4.5 metres deep or less. These physical details connect the event format with the shallow, island-dotted waters travellers will see around the race venue.
Travel arrangements remain centred on Aitutaki
Aitutaki is reached by domestic air travel from Rarotonga, with Air Rarotonga identified by Cook Islands Tourism as the island’s air operator. The main settlement is Arutanga, where the local tourism office is located. The race is listed for the lagoon itself rather than for Rarotonga, so travellers planning around Motu2Motu need an onward journey to Aitutaki.
Visiting Aitutaki Lagoon: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Motu2Motu Aitutaki takes place from 1 to 3 December 2026 at Aitutaki Lagoon in Aitutaki.
- The event is an outrigger canoe changeover race on lagoon water, with the official listing specifying 36 kilometres, seven legs and six changeovers.
- Aitutaki is served by domestic flights from Rarotonga, and Arutanga is the island’s main settlement and tourism reference point.
- The lagoon contains 16 motus and includes shallow areas as well as water reaching 10.5 metres at its deepest.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
Searching for Aitutaki Lagoon on social platforms
These links open searches for Aitutaki Lagoon on each platform.
Frequently asked questions about Aitutaki Lagoon
When does Motu2Motu Aitutaki take place at Aitutaki Lagoon?
The event is listed for 1 to 3 December 2026 at Aitutaki Lagoon in Aitutaki.
What is the format of Motu2Motu Aitutaki?
It is an international outrigger canoe changeover race covering 36 kilometres across seven legs and six changeovers.
Where is Aitutaki Lagoon and how do you get there?
The lagoon is in Aitutaki in the Cook Islands, north of Rarotonga, and domestic flights serve the island.
