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Easter Island
A remote Pacific island famous for its giant stone moai and Polynesian Rapa Nui culture
A remote Pacific island famous for its giant stone moai and Polynesian Rapa Nui culture
The volcanic crater where nearly all the moai were carved. Hundreds of statues, many half-buried, stand on its slopes, with unfinished figures still in the rock.
Rano Raraku can be visited only once on the national park ticket.
Photo: Arian Zwegers, CC BY 2.0
A white-sand beach with palm trees and two restored ceremonial platforms with moai, said to be the landing place of the island’s first settlers.
Photo: Mbmerino, CC BY-SA 3.0
A volcanic crater with a reed-filled lake, and on its rim the ceremonial village of Orongo, centre of the Birdman cult, with stone houses and petroglyphs.
Photo: Dennis G. Jarvis, CC BY-SA 2.0
The island’s only town, with the small harbour, the church with carvings mixing Catholic and Rapa Nui motifs, and the anthropological museum. The moai at Ahu Tahai are a popular sunset spot.
Photo: Docrgd, CC BY 4.0
Try fresh tuna ceviche, po’e (a sweet banana or pumpkin cake), tuna empanadas and, at festivals, umu, food cooked in an earth oven.
Restaurants in Hanga Roa are expensive because most food is flown in.
LATAM flies from Santiago to Mataveri International Airport (IPC) in about five to six hours. Hire cars, scooters and bikes are available, but most archaeological sites must be visited with a certified guide.
Citizens of the EU, the UK, the US, Canada and many other countries can visit Chile visa-free for up to 90 days; a digital tourist card is issued on arrival. Check current rules for your nationality before you travel. To travel on to Rapa Nui you must also complete an online entry form (FUI) before your flight, have a return ticket and a booking with a registered accommodation provider; non-residents can stay a maximum of 30 days.
Easter Island is expensive. A Rapa Nui National Park ticket, bought online in advance or on arrival, is required to visit the main sites. Chile uses the peso (CLP). Card payment is widespread. Foreign tourists who pay for hotel rooms in US dollars or by foreign card can often avoid the 19% VAT (IVA); ask when booking.
Plus the national park ticket.
Moai, craters and coast.
Visit the museum and the church, and watch sunset at Ahu Tahai.
See sunrise at Ahu Tongariki, then Rano Raraku and the beach at Anakena.
Visit the Rano Kau crater and the ceremonial village of Orongo, then the cave and platforms along the south coast.
Snorkel or dive in the clear water, hike Terevaka, the highest point, or relax in Hanga Roa.
Complete the online entry form (FUI) before flying, and keep your accommodation booking handy.
A certified guide is required at most archaeological sites.
Never touch or climb on moai or stone platforms; fines are heavy.
Book flights early; they can be expensive and fill up for the Tapati festival.
Quick answers for planning time in Easter Island.
Citizens of the EU, the UK, the US, Canada and many other countries do not need a visa for stays of up to 90 days.
By LATAM flights from Santiago, taking about five to six hours.
Yes, most sites in Rapa Nui National Park must be visited with a certified guide.
Non-residents can stay a maximum of 30 days and must complete an online entry form before travelling.
January to April is warm and dry; the Tapati Rapa Nui festival takes place in early February.
Offline maps are essential in the desert, Patagonia and on Easter Island, where signal is limited.
Free
Spanish is the language, spoken fast and with local slang; English is limited outside tourist services.
Free
Planning a wider trip? Our Chile travel guide covers getting there, costs, when to go and more.