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An adventurous spirit is a prerequisite for visiting Easter Island. Certainly, package tours are available and common, but you only visit a handful of the sights. Tour buses often fly past fascinating, off-the-beaten-path destinations or simply don’t go to places that are harder to access with groups, like the west coast caves o
An adventurous spirit is a prerequisite for visiting Easter Island. Certainly, package tours are available and common, but you only visit a handful of the sights. Tour buses often fly past fascinating, off-the-beaten-path destinations or simply don’t go to places that a
An adventurous spirit is a prerequisite for visiting Easter Island. Certainly, package tours are available and common, b
An adventurous spirit is a prerequisite for visiting Easter Island. Certainly, package tours are available and common, but you only visit a handful of the sights. Tour buses often fly past fascinating, off-the-beaten-path destinations or simply don’t go to places that are harder to access with groups, like the west coast caves of Ana Kai Tangata (bring a flashlight or headlamp). To fully experience the island, hire a private guide. Better yet, rent a four-wheel-drive vehicle, ATV, scooter, or mountain bike and head out on your own. Even in the height of the peak season you can find secluded spots if you time it well. A comprehensive guide to archaeological sites, including when to best find them empty is James Grant-Peterkin’s "A Companion to Easter Island," available on the island and in Santiago bookstores catering to tourists.
Almost all businesses close for a few hours in the afternoon. Most are open 9 to 1 and 4 to 8, but a few stay open late into the evening. Many are closed Sunday. Smaller restaurants and shops don’t usually accept credit cards. Be aware that outside of Hanga Roa, the only place to buy anything to eat or drink is at Anakena, or at one of the more remote luxury hotels, which are quite off the beaten path.
A small museum kick-starts the story of the ceremonial village of Orongo, likely constructed in the late 1600s and used by locals until 1866; the 48 oval stone houses here were occupied only during the ceremony honoring the god Make-Make. Many of these abodes have since been reconstructed. The high point of the annual event was a competition in which prominent villagers sent servants to Motu Nui, the largest of three islets just off the coast. The first servant to find an egg of the sooty tern, a bird nesting on the islets, would swim back with the prize tucked in a special headdress. His master would become the tangata manu, or birdman, for the next year. The tangata manu was honored by being confined to a cave until the following year's ceremony. Dozens of petroglyphs depicting birdlike creatures cover nearby boulders along the rim of Rano Kau. CONAF checks but does not sell tickets here. They are sold at the airport or at the CONAF office near the MAPSE Museu Rapa Nui and are good for all archaeological sites on the island.
This huge volcano on the southern tip of the island affords wonderful views of Hanga Roa. The crater, which measures a mile across, holds a lake nearly covered over by reeds. The opposite side of the crater has crumbled a bit, revealing a crescent of the deep blue ocean beyond. Entering the crater is forbidden, except in signposted areas. It is protected, and the ground is unstable.
These seven stoic moai—believed by some to represent explorers sent on a reconnaissance mission by King Hotu Matu'a—are among the few that gaze out to sea, though researchers say they face a ceremonial site. Others say the oral history of the explorers has morphed into stories about the moai, and that there isn't an actual connection between statues and explorers. Archaeologists William Mulloy and Gonzalo Figueroa restored the moai in 1960.
One of the few ahus to be erected inland, Ahu Huri a Urenga appears to be oriented toward the winter solstice. Its lonely moai is exceptional because it has two sets of hands, the second carved above the first. Archaeologists believe this is because the lower set was damaged during transport to the ahu.
As at Ahu Vinapu, the tightly fitting stones at the unrestored Ahu Te Peu recall the best work of the Incas. The foundations for several boat-shape houses, including one that measures 40 meters (131 feet) from end to end, are clearly visible. From here you can begin the six-hour trail-less hike around the island's northern coast to Playa Anakena. CONAF (national parks service) recommends a guide, as you may walk past many of the archaeological sites without one.
The appeal of this crumbled ahu isn't apparent until you notice the fine masonry on the rear wall. Anyone who has seen the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu in Peru can note the similar stonework. This led Norwegian archaeologist Thor Heyerdahl to theorize that Rapa Nui's original inhabitants may have sailed here from South America. By now it has been established that the first settlers were Polynesian, though evidence points to contact with South America early on. The moai here still lie where they were toppled, including one face up, which is unusual, as most were knocked facedown.
A small sign just past the entrance of Hotel Iorana points toward Ana Kai Tangata, a seldom-visited cavern on the coast that holds the island's only cave paintings. Directly over your head are images of red and white birds in flight. Dramatic cliffs shelter the cave from the crashing surf.
A grove of banana trees marks the entrance to these underground caverns that once served as dwellings. Partly shielded from the blazing sun, a secret garden of tropical plants thrives in the fissure where the caves begin. Below ground is a passage leading to a second cave where the sunlight streams through a huge hole. Bring a flashlight, and be careful of dripping water if it's rained in the past week.
Scoria, the reddish stone used to make topknots for the moai, was once excavated at this quarry. About two dozen finished topknots are still here. The views of the island from the top of the hill are worth the short climb.
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