Punanga Nui Market — Attraction in Avarua

What a great way to spend a Saturday morning in beautiful Rarotonga. The Punanga markets offer all sorts of produce - from food through to clothes. Obviously making the most of the tourist population, the stalls here are well stocked and plentiful. A couple of pieces of advice: The best time to visit is between 8am and 10am - The stalls will be well stocked, and it wont be too hot! Walk the entire market prior to ordering any food, to get a good idea of what is available before committing! There are a LOT of amazing food options - I enjoyed Grills and Chills - BBQ'd skewers of seafood and land food and also ice blocks and cold treats...I guess you figured that from the name!! (A must have on a hot island!) We also found a stall selling Umu (Hangi) and fry bread, and that was incredible. As a Maori family we have eaten a lot of hangi, and this was incredible. Another thing worth mentioning is to be able to discern between true local crafts and mass produced stuff. Im not judging at all, as I have some of the mass produced stuff adorning the walls of my office, but just be sure to know if you are supporting the local community. But do visit, it will be a highlight of your stay in the...

Love this place!

Came to Rarotonga twice and spend a lot of times in Punanga Nui market. Great place to look for gifts, local artisan works, paintings, fresh food and local fresh produce, organic products, jewelries (pearl, rito or the traditional earrings) and many more.

My favorite stands are Mama Dora’s tivaevae (I hope I write it right), Paul’s hot sauce, Mareko, Olie’s , and many more.

I got my tivaevae , pareu, block printing fabrics, Island dresses, rito earrings, t-shirts, bags, fridge magnets and more here.

I also enjoy the hot sauce (Paul’s got so many interesting flavors you need to try!), fresh soursop juice, ika mata (fresh fish with coconut cream and herbs), rukau (taro leaves & coconut cream) and more.

Parking is abundant, people are friendly and helpful, the vibe is fun. There are a lot of cafes as well here.

Happy to be back here again whenever I...

The market is open every Saturday and is well worth a visit. We found lots of local foods and cultural dancing here. There are a few permanent food places to the back in particular I would suggest you try "Bitesize". The fish is from the owner I understand and he is a local fisherman. Needless to say the food is fresh and there is a good variety to choose from. If you love your coffee - Just past the market (but still part of it) there is a permanent coffee stand. (I cant recall the name, but you will clearly see it from the road side) Here you will find organic/fair-trade coffee that is on par with some of Auckland best coffee shops! Most of the places we tried coffee all serve take-away coffee in bio cups which I was very surprised about....Auckland is well behind in...