Pukapuka, Remote coral atoll in northern Cook Islands.

Pukapuka is a remote coral atoll in the northern Cook Islands, located roughly 1150 kilometers (715 miles) northwest of Rarotonga. The three low-lying coral islets enclose a crescent-shaped bay and reach a maximum height of just a few meters above sea level.

European navigators first reached the atoll in the late 16th century, before later expeditions gave it different names. Polynesian settlement, however, began centuries earlier and shaped the culture present today.

Pukapuka lies in the northern group of the Cook Islands, not the northeast. The three villages on Wale's crescent bay carry the traditional names Takanumi, Kotipolo and Te Lāngaikula, and in daily life islanders call them Tiapani (Japan), Malike or Amelika (United States) and Ōlani (Holland). Village sports teams compete under those countries' names and flags.

Access to the atoll is only by air, with connections infrequent and heavily dependent on weather conditions. Travelers should plan flexible dates and contact local airlines well in advance.

Basalt used for many adze blades on Pukapuka has been geochemically traced to a quarry on Tutuila in Samoa, evidence of long voyages between West and East Polynesia. The atoll's oral traditions also record passages to Tuvalu, Tokelau, Niue, Tonga, Rarotonga and Tahiti.