Easter Island

Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, is one of the most remote inhabited places on earth, a small, wind-swept Polynesian island thousands of kilometres out in the Pacific, part of Chile. It is famous the world over for its moai, the hundreds of enormous, enigmatic stone heads and figures carved from volcanic rock by the island's people centuries ago and set on ceremonial platforms gazing inland, a UNESCO wonder made by a people whose descendants, the Rapa Nui, still live on the island.

History

Estimates of when Polynesians first settled the island have ranged from 400 to 1300 CE, with the 12th century now the best estimate, and oral tradition tells of a two-canoe expedition led by the chief Hotu Matu'a. The Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen reached it on Easter Sunday, 5 April 1722, and named it; from 1770 onwards rival groups toppled the moai to destroy their mana, and none were left standing when French missionaries arrived in the 1860s. Between 1862 and 1888 about 94 percent of the population died or emigrated: slave raiders abducted or killed some 1,500 people in 1862-1863, and the dozen who came back brought smallpox. The name Rapa Nui dates from after those raids, and in 1995 UNESCO named the island a World Heritage Site, with much of it protected as Rapa Nui National Park (Wikipedia, Easter Island).

The main sights

• The moai statues - the giant stone figures on their platforms.
• Rano Raraku - the quarry where the moai were carved, dotted with statues.
• Ahu Tongariki - the great platform of fifteen restored moai.
• The island culture - the Rapa Nui Polynesian heritage and volcanoes.

When to go

Year-round, with a subtropical climate; October to April is warmer, and the Tapati festival in February is a vibrant celebration of Rapa Nui culture. It is a remote flight from Santiago, so a stay of several days is worthwhile.

Before you go

It is extremely remote and expensive to reach, a five-hour flight from mainland Chile, so it is a major, costly trip. The moai must be respected as sacred ancestral monuments, never climbed or touched, and access to some is restricted to protect them. Facilities are limited on the small island. Its remoteness and mystery, though, are unforgettable.

Nearby

The island stands alone in the vast Pacific; mainland Chile is a long flight east.