Chile – Easter Island

Located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Easter Island, Rapa Nui to its native Polynesian inhabitants, is one of the most isolated inhabited places on Earth. Officially a territory of Chile, it lies roughly halfway to Tahiti, which is why you’ll also find products from Tahiti on te island.

It should go without saying that getting to a destination that is home to the most remote airport in the world will cost.  But the price is entirely linked to when you buy your ticket, so try to book in advance.

Easter Island emanates a magnetic, mysterious vibe. It is most famous for its giant stone statues, built centuries ago, which reflect the history of the dramatic rise and fall of the Polynesian culture.

Easter Island is relatively small, so it is possible to get around fairly easily, even though public transportation is not available (only a few taxis). But it takes at least 2 full days to see all the main sites.

First things first: the entrance to the national park can be bought at the airport upon arrival or, alternatively, in the Center. I recommend buying at the airport, it’s more practical and it’s the same price. This ticket is obligatory if you want to leave Hanga Roa as the entire island is considered to be the national park. And if they didn’t check the ticket a few years ago, they do now!

The entrance is 80$ or 54’000 pesos.

Hanga Roa

Hanga Roa is the only village on the island. The artisan markets and shops are mostly located on the main street, church street or nearby.

Stop by the MAPSE museum to learn all about the island and the Moais. The entrance is free and it will not take more than one hour.

MAPSE website, Tue-Fri 9:30am-5:30pm, Sat-Sun 9:30am-12:30pm, free entrance

You’ll also find all the places to rent bikes, cars, scooters and quads in the village. I don’t recommend the bikes unless you’re a very sporty person, and not the scooter either because of the quality of the roads. I rented a scooter and had a few accidents in the muddy pathways.

A valid driver’s license specifically for motor scooters and motorbikes is required. Otherwise, driver’s licences for cars will allow the use of cars or 4×4 quad bikes. I recommend renting for at least 2 days.

Prices may vary but a scooter is around 20’000 pesos a day and a car, 45’000 pesos.

National Park and Moai statues

Of course, the biggest tourist attractions on Easter Island are the Moai standing upon ceremonial platforms called Ahu. There are hundreds of Moais on the island but, unless you’re a real rock lover, you’ll want to see the standing ones and not the remains (at least I know I came for the real stuff!)

I especially recommend visiting these sites:

• Ahu Hanga Te’e
• Ahu Akahanga
• Ahu Tongariki
• Rano Raraku volcano: The quarry is where the majority of Moais were created, on a hillside. This volcano remnant provided the stones for the great figures and is where you can see various stages of the carving, as well as partially-finished figures scattered around. A small climb to the left side of the crater, over the top, and into the bowl, is well worth it too!
• Ahu Nau Nau and Anakena: one of the white sand beaches. Anakena includes 2 ahus with the Moais. Bring your swimsuit as the water isn’t really cold!
• Ovahe: the second beach is a hidden gem, east from Anakena. This beautiful and desolate beach is surrounded by cliffs. The path leading down to the beach is a bit unstable and only reachable by foot.
• Ahu Akivi
• Ahu Tahai: the closest Moai to Hanga Roa, it’s the perfect spot to watch the sunset over the Moais

Cave systems

An often overlooked but particularly fascinating aspect of Easter Island is its cave systems. While there are a couple of official caves that are quite interesting in their own right, there is also real adventure to be had in exploring all of the numerous unofficial caves on the island, most of which are found near Ana Kakenga.

While the openings to most of these caves are small and you’ll have to crawl through, many of them open up into prohibitively deep and extensive cave systems.

Easter Island is truly a magical place that seems almost untouched by tourism at times.

Restaurants

You’ll find most of the restaurants in town. Menus tend to be limited, as most of the food on the island needs to be imported. This also explains the price level of the island. I highly recommend the seafood because it will be the freshest of all the ingredients on your plate thanks to the local fishermen!

Neptune Island was definitely the best food I’ve had on the island! The place could use some freshening up but the food is worth it. I strongly recommend the shrimp pasta, it has a secret sweet and sour homemade sauce that is just incredible (16’000 pesos).

Policarpo Toro, on front of the beach Hanga Vare Vare

Pea restaurant, also located on the ocean side, has a very nice view and the staff is adorable. The menu del dia costs 10’000 pesos and includes a starter and a main course, usually seafood and fish. It was very good!

And if you’re lucky to have a calm sea, big sea turtles can also be seen near the fishing boats.

Policarpo Toro, from 1pm-2am

Moai sunset is the perfect place, after watching the sunset over Ahu Tahai, to have a nice pisco cocktail (4500 pesos) as it’s located just next to the Ahu.

La Kaleta restaurant has a beautiful seaside view and great food. It has a fame as the best restaurant of the island so it’s not the cheapest one, either. The exotic ceviche (with mangos) is to die for! La Kaleta is also a beautiful place to watch the colors of the sunset.

At the end of the Caleta (pier), from 9am-11pm