Easter Island

One of the most isolated inhabited islands in the Pacific, where nearly a thousand moai statues watch over the coast; the Rano Raraku quarry and the sunrise behind the fifteen statues are once-in-a-lifetime sights.

Easter Island (known locally as Rapa Nui) is a Chilean territory in the South Pacific, about 3,700 km from mainland Chile and about 2,000 km from the nearest inhabited island, Pitcairn, making it one of the most remote inhabited islands on Earth. The island is triangular, covers about 164 sq km (63 sq mi), and its roughly 8,000 residents nearly all live in Hanga Roa, the only town, on the southwest coast. Between about AD 800 and 1200, Polynesians arrived by canoe and went on to carve nearly a thousand giant statues called moai, which represent deified ancestors and stand on stone platforms called ahu by the sea, with their backs to the ocean and facing the villages to protect the people. In 1995 Rapa Nui National Park was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, covering about 40% of the island. The climate is subtropical oceanic, at 18–28°C (64–82°F) year-round; Jan–Mar is warmest, and the Tapati cultural festival, lasting about two weeks, is held in early February. Sightseeing: plan on 4–5 days—one day on the southeast coast (the ahu groups, Rano Raraku and Tongariki), one day in the southwest (Rano Kau and Orongo, Vinapu), and one day in the north (Anakena beach and Ahu Akivi). Getting there: LATAM flies daily from Santiago to Mataveri Airport (about 5.5 hours); on the island you can rent a car or ATV, or join a group tour. Important rules: national park tickets cost about US$80 for foreign adults and are valid for 10 days, with Rano Raraku and Orongo each limited to a single entry; since reopening in 2022, entering archaeological sites requires a licensed local guide; visitors must complete the Chilean police (PDI) entry form and hold a return ticket and accommodation booking, with a maximum stay of 30 days. Touching or climbing the moai and platforms is strictly forbidden, with heavy fines for violators. Chinese passport holders need a Chilean visa or must meet visa-exemption conditions (check the latest rules from the Chilean consular authorities).

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