What to Expect from Easter Island

Located 2,200 miles west of Chile, Easter Island (also known as Isla de Pascua and Rapa Nui) is the easternmost Polynesian island and the world’s most remote inhabited island. Rapa Nui is famous for the moai statues erected shortly after Polynesians first settled on the island between 800 and 1200 AD.

It’s thought that up to 20,000 people once lived on Rapa Nui. As with other Polynesian societies, the Rapa Nui civilization manifested their culture through tattooing, dance, music, and art while meals were prepared in subterranean ovens called umu pae. Around 5,000 people currently maintain permanent residence on Easter Island where tourism revolves around cultural exploration and enjoying the wondrous natural scenery.

Seeing the Moai statues of Rapa Nui

Travelers head to Easter Island for its monolithic human head statues. Carved from volcanic tuff between 1250 and 1500, moais represent deified ancestors (aringa ora ata tepuna). Some were further embellished with volcanic stone and seashells depicted eyes.

They were created as both a tribute to the deceased and an indication of authority and status with the largest statues linked with the most powerful families. Moai were also believed to offer protection to island residents. While at first glance they look similar, a closer inspection reveals subtle differences reflecting the person each moai represented.

Seeing the moai is one of the most unique experiences in Chile. The majority of the statues are located within the Rapa Nui National Park. Ahu Tongariki is the largest ahu (moai platform) with 15 statues standing in line, some of which bear petroglyphs on their backs.

Rano Raraku, the quarry from which the moai were carved, sits in a volcanic crater strewn with hundreds of half-completed sculptures and the largest yet found, Te Tokanga/El Gigante: The Giant.

Stunning views and photography at Ana Kakenga

The “Cave of Two Windows” is a lava tube on the west coast near Hanga Roa. After squeezing through the narrow entrance, the cave gives way to a backdrop of the Pacific Ocean through its dual windows 30 meters above the crashing waves. Access to Ana Kakenga is via a short multi-purpose hiking or biking trail.

Relaxing on Easter Island’s beaches

Rapa Nui experiences a subtropical climate of hot summers (December through February) and mild winters (June through September). Anakena Beach has white sand and aquamarine waters backed by palm trees and moai statues. It’s also possible to scuba dive to a replica moai resting on the seabed.

Getting to Easter Island

Easter Island is part of Chile’s Valparaíso region. LATAM Airlines operates flights between Santiago de Chile and Hanga Roa. There are up to three flights daily between October and April and one per day between May and September.

Tourists are permitted to stay no longer than 30 days on the island and must show proof of a return flight ticket and accommodation reservation before boarding the plane.

Traveling beyond Rapa Nui

Easter Island may be visited in tandem with such must-see destinations in Chile as Santiago and the Central Valley wine region. Travelers not bound by a tight schedule can consider traveling to Patagonia and Antarctica from Chile.