Ahu Tongariki
Fifteen moai standing in a row, swept inland by a tsunami in 1960 and put back up with a Japanese crane.
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UNESCO World Heritage
Tongariki is the largest ahu on Rapa Nui, carrying fifteen moai on a platform about a hundred metres long. They had been toppled long before, during the island's internal conflicts, and in May 1960 the tsunami from the Valdivia earthquake - the largest ever recorded - swept the fallen statues and the platform stones as much as a hundred metres inland. Restoration ran from 1992 to 1996 under the Chilean archaeologist Claudio Cristino with a crane donated by a Japanese company, and the statues were raised again. They face inland, as all moai do, with their backs to the sea and the sunrise behind them.
What you actually see
- Fifteen moai on one platform - the largest ahu on the island.
- Scattered by the 1960 tsunami - moved up to a hundred metres inland.
- Restored between 1992 and 1996 - with a donated Japanese crane.
- Facing inland - as all moai do, backs to the sea.
When to go
Year round; sunrise puts the light behind the row. Half a day.
Honest expectations
Sunrise is crowded and cold, and access at that hour is regulated. Approaching or touching the ahu is prohibited. There is no shade and the wind is constant. The park ticket is required and expensive.
Nearby
Rano Raraku is minutes inland; Hanga Roa is west.
What to pack for Ahu Tongariki
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.