Rano Raraku
The birthplace of nearly all the moai, with about 400 unfinished statues, or statues awaiting transport, scattered across the volcanic slopes. It is known as the “moai nursery.”
Rano Raraku is an extinct volcano built of tuff. Its relatively soft stone is easy to carve with basalt adzes, and about 95% of the island's moai came from here. Roughly 400 moai still lie scattered across the slopes. Some remain embedded in the rock with only their outlines carved. Others have been freed from the bedrock and stand on the slope, buried in soil up to their shoulders or chests, with only their enormous heads showing. These are the famous “giant stone heads” of Easter Island, but every one of them has a complete body underneath. The largest unfinished moai, El Gigante, is about 21 meters long and is estimated to weigh over 200 tons. Had it been completed, it would have been the largest statue on the island. The trail runs along the outer side of the slope and passes the kneeling moai Tukuturi, whose form is quite different from the others. Inside the crater is a freshwater lake ringed with reeds, and several moai stand along its shore. A mountain fire in October 2022 damaged some of the moai, and the site reopened after restoration. Entry requires a national park ticket, you may enter only once, and a licensed guide must accompany you. The site is usually open from about 09:00 to 18:00. It is only 1.5 km from Tongariki, so the two can be visited in the same morning.
Opening hours
Approx. 09:00–18:00 (park ticket valid for one entry only)
Nearby sights
- Ahu Tongariki
- Papa Vaka Petroglyphs
- Poike Peninsula
- Te Pito Kura (Navel of the World)
- Ahu Akahanga
- Ovahe Beach
- Anakena Beach
- Ahu Vaihu (Hanga Te'e)