Wow, I finally made it to Easter Island. I had always read about this place, but never thought I would actually visit it one day. As part of my trip to Chile, I just had to include Easter Island to my itinerary, and I am so glad I did.
Easter Island, or Hanga Roa in the local language, is an extremely remote island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Only accessible via the mainland of Chile by plane, not too many people visit this little speck of land in the ocean. With its Polynesian heritage, tropical vibes and history, Easter Island is a very unique place.
Seeing a Moai statue for the first time with your own eyes was so special. I rented a car to explore the island, seeing all the Moai sites the island has to offer. There are quite a few places on the island where the statues can be found, from a single Moai statue to a large row of statues all lined up, like the one at Ahu Tongariki. At Anakena beach, you have Moai with their hats, called pukaos, set on a tropical beach surrounded by palm trees. And then there’s the Ranu Raraku quarry, where the Moai statues were actually carved from the volcanic rock and where you can still see quite a few of them laying in the ground, unfinished or even some ready to be transported, which never happened.
Visiting Easter Island was really a once in a lifetime experience and I can highly recommend it to anyone who visits Chile. You won’t regret it!
Travel photography Easter Island | Moai statues | Ahu Tongariki | Ranu Raraku | Ahu Tahai | Anakena beach