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Visiting Suwarrow feels like stepping onto a deserted island from a storybook.

It’s a remote atoll way out in the northern Cook Islands, and the only way to get there is by private boat. No towns, no shops, just two caretakers who live there part of the year.

Most people anchor off Anchorage Island and explore from there. There’s no phone signal or Wi-Fi, just white sand, palm trees, and a ton of seabirds.

The place is a protected sanctuary because so many birds come to nest—frigatebirds, boobies, tropicbirds, terns, you name it. You’ll probably spot turtles, coconut crabs, and reef sharks too.

The snorkeling is incredible, with bright coral and tons of fish, and sometimes even manta rays or dolphins. The caretakers are usually happy to show you around or share stories about the island.

Suwarrow has a wild backstory, there are old tales of shipwrecks, lost treasure, and a man named Tom Neale who lived there alone for years.

These days, sailors sometimes gather for beach potlucks and stories under the stars. It’s not easy to get to, but that’s what makes it feel so magical.

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