Easter Island Pictures
Rapa Nui Photos

Adventure Life operates a well-informed, good-value 5 day Easter Island Tour

Moai to the max at a typical cloudy Tongariki sunrise on Chile's Rapa Nui (Easter Island or Isla de Pascua in Spanish), in December. This, the largest shrine on the island and the work of several centuries, was restored in 1993.

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Not much of an activity centre and a long, expensive trip from the mainland, but Chile's Easter Island (annexed by Chile in 1888) is little developed, has a small Polynesian population and displays some of the world's oddest artifacts in a barren, volcanic landscape along with a bizarre, self-destructive history. This is definitely a must-see if you can afford it.

A view of Rapa Nui's Rano Raraku quarry - seen on the left - where most moai were carved, though the occasional red top hats came from Puna Pau crater in a different location. To the right is one lone moai a hundred metres from the Tongariki set.

Tongariki a little later, with one of many overturned moai.

Somebody left his hat lying around.

Inside the Rano Raraku quarry/volcano.

And the outside of Rano Raraku, the source of almost all moai.

About 400 statues in various stages of development are still scattered around the outside and inside of this crater.
Rapa Nui is triangular, 23km long by 11km wide, and was created by the eruption of three volcanoes. The total area of is 171 sq kms. There are just two sandy beaches.
This is one of our favourite places on Rapa Nui, as well as...Anakena beach

Anakena Beach Pictures >>>

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