Travel guide: Rarotonga Airport, Cook Islands (RAR)
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At a glance
Local facts
Travel essentials for Rarotonga Airport, Cook Islands — what to expect on the ground. Rarotonga Airport sits in Cook Islands (Oceania), in a tropical climate band — tropical southern-hemisphere zone with a wet season and a dry season. Airport IATA code RAR serves the area. Local timezone is Pacific/Rarotonga, which matters for arrivals and check-ins. It sits at -21.20°, -159.80° — useful for weather, daylight, and route planning. Use the live tools below to plan around these facts.
- RegionCook Islands, Oceania
- Climate bandtropical southern-hemisphere zone with a wet season and a dry season
- Airport IATA code RAR
- TimezonePacific/Rarotonga
- Coordinates-21.20, -159.80
- Located in the Southern Hemisphere
RAR is the airport code for Rarotonga International Airport, the main gateway to the Cook Islands, in the South Pacific. Rarotonga is the largest and most populous island of the Cook Islands, home to most of the country's people and to its capital, Avarua, on the north coast, where the airport is also found. It is a beautiful, kidney-shaped volcanic island, with jagged green mountain peaks rising in the interior and a ring of coral reef and lagoon around the coast. The loveliest of these is the Muri lagoon on the southeast side, with its clear water and little islets, the heart of the island's tourism. Rarotonga is the entry point for the whole country and the stepping-off place for the other Cook Islands, such as Aitutaki. Rarotonga is reached by air into its international airport. The climate is warm and tropical, with a hotter, wetter season and a cooler, drier one.
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Frequently asked questions
What is RAR airport?
RAR is Rarotonga International Airport, the main airport of the Cook Islands, on the island of Rarotonga near the capital, Avarua. It is the international gateway to the country, with flights from New Zealand, Australia and other places, and the stepping-off point for the other islands of the Cooks.
Where is Rarotonga?
Rarotonga is the largest and most populous island of the Cook Islands, in the South Pacific Ocean, roughly between New Zealand and Hawaii. It is a volcanic island of green mountain peaks ringed by coral reef and lagoon, and is home to the country's capital, Avarua, and its international airport.
What is Rarotonga known for?
Rarotonga is known for its dramatic green mountains and its beautiful lagoons, above all the Muri lagoon on the southeast coast, with its clear turquoise water and little islets. As the main island of the Cook Islands, it is the heart of the country's tourism and the gateway to the other islands.
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