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Chile

Easter Island

Easter Island
Easter Island
Easter Island
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Easter Island

Why visit Easter Island

Visiting Easter Island, known locally as Rapa Nui, is unlike travelling anywhere else in South America. Set more than 3,500 kilometres from mainland Chile, the island’s extraordinary isolation has preserved a culture, landscape and history found nowhere else.

The most striking presence across the island is the moai, the monumental stone statues that stand on ceremonial platforms known as ahu. Created by the early Polynesian inhabitants between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries, these statues remain one of the world’s most enduring archaeological mysteries. Exploring the sites where they stand, often overlooking dramatic coastlines, offers a powerful sense of the island’s past.

Beyond the statues, the island reveals a varied volcanic landscape of crater lakes, lava fields and wide Pacific views. Walking across the slopes of Rano Kau or visiting the quarry at Rano Raraku provides insight into how the statues were carved and transported.

At the heart of the island is the small town of Hanga Roa, where Polynesian traditions remain strong. Music, dance and storytelling continue to shape daily life, offering visitors a rare connection to a living culture in one of the most remote inhabited places on Earth.

Easter Island

Highlights of Easter Island

  • Ahu Tongariki – The island’s largest ceremonial platform, where fifteen restored moai stand in a dramatic line facing inland against the Pacific horizon.

  • Rano Raraku – The volcanic quarry where most of the island’s moai were carved, with hundreds of statues still scattered across the slopes.

  • Rano Kau and Orongo – A vast volcanic crater filled with reeds and water, beside the ceremonial village of Orongo where the historic Birdman competition took place.

  • Anakena Beach – A rare white-sand beach lined with palm trees and overlooked by a group of restored moai on the Ahu Nau Nau platform.

  • Petroglyphs and Rock Art – Across the island, ancient carvings depict birds, sea creatures and symbols linked to the Birdman cult and Polynesian beliefs.

  • Rapa Nui Culture – Music, dance and storytelling remain an important part of daily life, reflecting the island’s enduring Polynesian heritage.

Topknots and Coral Eyes

Many of the famous moai statues originally had coral eyes and red stone topknots known as pukao. When the statues were first raised on their ceremonial platforms, white coral and obsidian were inserted to form eyes, transforming the moai from carved figures into sacred ancestors believed to watch over and protect the surrounding community.

Remote Carnival

Each February, Easter Island celebrates Tapati Rapa Nui, a vibrant cultural festival that brings the island’s traditions to life. For two weeks, local families compete in events including traditional dance, music, body painting, canoe racing and even downhill banana-trunk sledging. The celebrations culminate in the crowning of a festival queen, chosen from the winning clan.

Where to stay

Best hotels on Easter Island

Nothing but the best. Browse our handpicked, tried-and-tested luxury hotels.

Luxury Lodge

Explora Rapa Nui, Easter Island

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Nayara, Easter Island Luxury Lodge

Nayara, Easter Island

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Good to know

Getting to Easter Island

The flight from Santiago to Easter Island (Rapa Nui) takes around 5 hours and 30 minutes.

Flights depart from Santiago’s Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport and arrive at Mataveri International Airport in Hanga Roa, the island’s main settlement. The route covers roughly 3,700 kilometres across the Pacific Ocean, making it one of the most remote scheduled flight routes in the world.

When to go

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OUR FAVOURITE TIME TO VISIT

If you want as few people as possible, then July might be the best choice, however if you want to see the island in full swing, then travel in February to experience the Tapati Festival, but you’ll need to book well in advance to get a room.

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