Easter Island is among the most fascinating locations to be discovered wherever on earth. It’s an island of towering, megalithic stone heads. A spot the place statues had been seemingly carved by giants, however extra impressively had been constructed by pure manpower alone.
It’s a spot of legend, demise and surprise, the place historical past is at all times rewritten as new info come to life and new discoveries are made. It’s an unbelievable place to go to, however it’s not a straightforward place to journey to.
Easter Island is about as distant because it will get. It’s far out in the midst of nowhere. Nevertheless it’s an island that has for hundreds of years intrigued and enthralled scientists and vacationers alike, as they surprise how the folks that lived right here survived and ultimately thrived, earlier than nearly fully disappearing once more.
It’s a wild and windswept place, a spot that appears nearly inhospitable, however that has its personal distinct pure attraction that may’t be discovered wherever else. Easter Island is an island that can stay firmly transfixed in your reminiscence lengthy after you permit its shores.
Though it’s not an inexpensive or straightforward vacation spot to succeed in, it’s a spot that you could assure just a few different folks will have the ability to say they’ve set foot upon. Right here’s our information on how you can get to Easter Island, to assist make your journey just a bit bit simpler.
Don’t go away dwelling with out: Lonely Planet Chile & Easter Island (Journey Information)
Easy methods to Go to Easter Island: Important Planning Information
The place is Easter Island?
Easter Island is a small, distant and remoted place that’s discovered far out within the southern Pacific Ocean. The island measures simply 15 miles in size and seven miles in width, making it a small spec in an in any other case huge and empty ocean.
It’s this isolation that attracts many guests to the shores, and it’s an unbelievable feat of early seafaring that introduced early Polynesian settlers right here centuries in the past within the face of insurmountable odds.
This is among the most distant islands on this planet. The closest inhabited land is Pitcairn Island, 1200 miles away and equally distant with a inhabitants of simply 50 everlasting residents.
Easter Island is midway between New Zealand and Chile, and it’s Chile that lays declare to the island, governing it as a territory, although its hundreds of miles away throughout the wild Pacific Ocean.
All which means that Easter Island will be troublesome to succeed in.
Don’t neglect: Easter Island & Santiago Journey Reference Map
Easy methods to Get to Easter Island
Easter Island has one airstrip, on the capital Hanga Roa, and it’s doable to fly right here every day from Santiago in Chile. There’s additionally a weekly worldwide air connection to Tahiti.
From Santiago, flight time is a minimal of 5 hours, and within the wide-open Pacific flying in can look like discovering a needle in a haystack, a fairly unusual expertise.
There’s just one airline flying this route and so consequently, fares will be fairly excessive no matter whenever you guide.
Surprisingly although, Easter Island is getting higher linked, and Santiago in Chile is changing into a hub of air journey, which means it’s doable to journey right here from world wide earlier than reserving an onward flight to Easter Island.
You possibly can guide flights via peculiar means, reminiscent of a journey company or on-line. A journey agent can give you extra correct data on how you can get to Easter Island however flights are available to guide on-line.
We booked our flights on-line via Skyscanner, roundtrip from Santiago, Chile. The flight is roughly 6 hours and is nonstop. It’s an open ocean however extremely cool whenever you begin to descend on Easter Island.
Sit by the window and stare out on the ocean periodically if you are en route, it actually lets you perceive simply how distant this place is.
The actually adventurous, and people with quite a lot of time on their fingers, might wish to arrive on Easter Island within the extra conventional method, by crossing the Pacific Ocean by ship.
Very rare cargo ships and sometimes an organized cruise will cross from New Zealand to Chile, calling in at distant locations like Easter Island, and in case you are fortunate you could possibly get your self a spot on one.
It’s an extended journey, however it should aid you to actually recognize the distant nature of this vacation spot.
How To Journey Round Easter Island
As you’ll think about, this can be a small, sparsely populated place, with a inhabitants of only a few thousand folks. There’s no public transport, however the island is small and properly linked sufficient to make journeys round it pretty easy nonetheless.
The laborious half is getting there. As soon as you’re there, it’s straightforward to rearrange taxis and drivers to move you round, as you will discover that regardless of its remoteness, Easter Island could be very a lot reliant on tourism lately.
The primary settlement is discovered at Hanga Roa, and that is the place you’ll almost definitely be primarily based all through your journey. Within the city, you’ll be able to simply stroll round from eating places to accommodations and anything in between.
Circumnavigating the island in a single go would solely take just a few hours. Many individuals will even select to rent bicycles to sightsee.
There are additionally many tour corporations organizing small group excursions, that are straightforward to tag together with, permitting you to avoid wasting on prices and nonetheless see all the foremost sights with native guides. You possibly can organize these in Hanga Roa with one of many journey companies primarily based there.
For us, we went with renting a 4×4 for all the length of our keep. We nonetheless took a number of excursions that concerned small van journey and did a motorbike journey up the coast, however our most important wheels had been an ATV.
This labored superb, as we may experience collectively and will match wherever, in contrast to when you lease a automobile.
The one draw back is we didn’t really feel comfy driving across the island at night time with the 4×4 as a result of the headlights usually are not very sturdy and there are many horses roaming the island.
Renting a automobile I believe is your subsequent most suitable choice and small SUV’s can be found in each guide and automated. I might advocate that in case you are staying for a shorter journey, round 4 days, renting a automobile is ok.
For longer stays although, I might undoubtedly break it up by renting a automobile for 3-4 days after which an ATV for the remainder of the journey. You’ll save quite a bit on rental charges and gasoline this manner.
How Lengthy to Keep on Easter Island
This can be a extremely debated subject and I’m going to exit on a limb to say that the common keep on Easter Island is about 3-4 days. There appears to be a false impression that every one there’s to do is stare at statues, which leads folks in direction of that pattern.
All mentioned I’m going to allow you to in on the key that wants to be shared. We didn’t meet one person who wasn’t envious of our 9 days keep on the island. Each single person who had booked on that 3-4 day advice realized on their first day that that they had made a mistake.
Whereas Easter Island is small, there’s a ton of stuff to do there and an amazing quantity of websites to go to. You can’t actually tackle the island, aside from the foremost websites, in 3-4 days.
We have to be lifelike that this place is extremely distant, not the most affordable and a spot you in all probability gained’t go to once more in your lifetime, so why would you promote your self brief? Simply don’t do it!
Whereas 9 days might be a bit extreme for the common particular person, I’ll say you want a stable week for a correct go to. This provides you with sufficient time to see the foremost websites and discover a number of of the smaller websites on the island.
It provides you with time to calm down on Anakena Seaside, wander the streets of Hanga Roa and take a motorbike journey up the coast. It’s going to additionally offer you time to do some mountaineering, like climbing the three summits (a world’s High 100 Journey Journey), and to soak up a few cultural reveals.
For the photographers, you higher simply guide these 9 days. I’m severe. The island gives some severe alternatives for dawn, sundown and astrophotography pictures however you have to go away some days in there to play roulette with the climate.
We had some gorgeous days however a lot of clouds would roll in at night time making star pictures nearly unattainable. Throughout our 9 days, it rained for 4 straight sunrises.
Now think about when you had solely booked 4 days on the island. You get my drift, give your self time and also you’ll get some epic stuff.
Helpful Data for Visiting Easter Island
- Obligatory Nationwide Park Entry Payment: The doorway price to the Rapa Nui Nationwide Park is $80USD or $54,000 pesos for all non-Chilean guests. There’s a wood Nationwide Park sales space earlier than the Arrivals corridor within the airport the place you should purchase your ticket. This ticket will get you into each website on the island, with limitless entry besides fro Rano Raraku and Orongo, and is legitimate on your complete keep. Don’t miss the sales space.
- Airport Transfers: Many accommodations will supply pickup on the airport included within the value of your keep. If not, there will probably be a number of taxis ready on the airport whenever you arrive. There isn’t a negotiating on costs, they’ve mounted charges from the airport to any resort on the town and likewise cost for baggage, per piece. Whereas this may be irritating at first, you’ll discover the experience nice when you make the most of the motive force to get acquainted with the island. They’re very happy to speak concerning the island, locations to go to and provides suggestions.
- ATM & Cash Trade: In Hanga Roa, you will discover ATMs accepting worldwide playing cards, nonetheless, it’s clever to take all the cash you would possibly want with you – particularly in case you are simply on a brief journey – as being an remoted island, there’s each probability the ATMs can malfunction or just run out of money. The native foreign money is the Chilean Peso, nonetheless, US {Dollars} are accepted completely in every single place and in lots of instances, most well-liked.
- Security on Easter Island: Easter Island is as protected because it will get actually. Being such a small neighborhood, crime could be very rare, and you will discover that in Hanga Roa there are numerous police, particularly to assist vacationers too. After all, although, being so distant has its personal risks, as if something severe had been to occur to you the closest main hospitals are hundreds of miles away in Chile, so play it protected on the roads and when mountaineering round.
- WIFI & Information: Surprisingly, there’s web on Easter Island and it’s reliably good. Most accommodations supply complimentary WIFI to their company. It is usually doable to make use of a Chile-based cell supplier on the island to entry the mobile phone and information networks.
- Fuel Costs: In case you are planning to lease a automobile or ATV throughout your go to, it’s good to know that there are 2 gasoline stations in Hanga Roa and that the costs usually are not too excessive. We truly discovered them to be a bit cheaper than mainland Chile if that is smart.
- Easter Island Passport Stamp: For those who’re flying in from Chile you’ll not have your passport stamped on arrival to Easter Island (guests arriving from Tahiti will get an official passport stamp on arrival). Nevertheless, it’s doable to get a stamp in your passport from the put up workplace in Hanga Roa. The women working the counter are tremendous candy and comfortable to speak with you whereas stamping your passport with the basic Moai stamp, together with a date stamp to commemorate your go to.
The place To Keep on Easter Island
The primary location and solely city of any dimension are the place nearly all of the island’s lodging is discovered. Hanga Roa could be hard-pressed to actually even be known as a city, extra a set of some streets, however it’s the middle of island life right here.
The primary avenue is the place you will discover a lot of the lodging and there’s a shocking vary available right here, from funds to luxurious. Being so distant although, don’t anticipate full-on luxurious, as getting something out right here is at the perfect of instances troublesome.
Lodging isn’t spectacularly low cost, as even a funds room in a fundamental guesthouse will value a minimal of $50 per night time for a double, with mid-range accommodations promoting for $100-150 an evening.
We stayed for 9 nights on the Hangaroa Eco Village & Spa and it was an incredible base for us whereas we explored Easter Island. The resort provided massive rooms, a giant pool, spa, a number of bars and a few onsite eating places.
They’ll put collectively some fairly candy packages that embrace your entire meals and even every day excursions across the island. Easter Island is a as soon as in a lifetime journey, so when you can swing it that is the one solution to go.
Finest Dawn and Sundown Spots on Easter Island
Among the most wanted moments and images embrace the dawn or sundown and there are many good views available presently of day. That being mentioned, there are a few optimum locations that it is best to head to get the perfect images and expertise for every of them.
BEST SUNRISE SPOT
Palms down the perfect dawn spots are at Ahu Tongariki. Not solely does the dawn completely behind this website however it’s additionally essentially the most spectacular lineup of Moai on the island.
You’ll need to rise up very early and make the roughly 20-minute drive to the positioning, which sits on the other facet of the island from Hanga Roa.
There’s a sales space on the entrance the place you must present your ticket to the guard.
BEST SUNSET SPOT
Proper on the outskirts of city is Ahu Tahai, not solely the one place on the island that has a Moai statue with restored eyes, but additionally the perfect sundown spot on Easter Island.
Set proper on the sting of the coast, this website is spectacular and really dramatic. You’ll get each the solar setting over the ocean behind the statue and the lights of Hanga Roa as they begin to mild up.
Widespread Locations to Go to on Easter Island
A lot of the tourism on Easter Island revolves after all, across the spectacular large, stone statues often known as Moai, of which there are over 800 strewn throughout the island.
There are additionally many mountaineering alternatives in addition to the possibility to be taught concerning the island’s distinctive Polynesian historical past and tradition.
A lot of Easter Island is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Web site, below the identify Rapa Nui Nationwide Park.
The Big Stone Statues of Easter Island
The primary cause you’re in all probability touring all this manner into the Pacific Ocean is to see first hand the well-known, large stone statues of Easter Island.
These Moai stand on equally huge stone platforms, though when the island started to fall into turmoil just a few hundred years in the past, it’s thought that many had been toppled in anger.
The statues are unfold throughout the island, with many in dramatic areas on the perimeters of the volcanoes or strewn alongside the cliffs.
Probably the most well-known website to go to is at Tongariki, the place 15 statues stand subsequent to one another.
It’s thought the Islanders raised the statues themselves utilizing manpower alone, and actually, lots of the standing statues you see immediately have been erected by scientists making an attempt to show their very own theories as to how they had been constructed.
Our prime beneficial excursions:
- Easter Island Moai Archaeology Tour: Ahu Akivi, Ahu Tahai and Puna Pauâ Quarry.
- Ahu Akivi and Orongo plus Anakena Seaside Day Journey
- Easter Islan d Full-Day Tour: Ahu Tongariki, Rano Raraku and Anakena Seaside
Sunken Moai – Snorkeling and Diving
Surprisingly maybe, Easter Island is changing into recognized for its diving and snorkeling. The water won’t be too heat, however package up and you may discover the distinctive coral and marine life that’s discovered across the island.
The very best half is, you’ll be able to even dive with sunken Moai statues which can be discovered underwater.
Rano Kau Volcano
Rano Kau is a big volcanic crater that’s discovered on Easter Island. It was the positioning of a big quarry that was used completely to mine materials for the development of the Moai.
On the slopes of the volcano, you will note the half-finished remnants of some statues which had been by no means raised and even accomplished.
Within the crater itself, you will note extra, in addition to the big lake that has shaped within the center. It’s a wierd sight, however a weirdly lovely one too.
Our prime beneficial excursions:
- Easter Island Full-Day Tour: Ahu Tongariki, Rano Raraku and Anakena Seaside
- Small-Group Full-Day Easter Island Highlights South and East
Terevaka Volcano
On the summit of Terevaka Volcano
Terevaka is the biggest volcano on the island – certainly, Rano Raraku is discovered on the slopes of Terevaka – and a hike to the summit is arduous however breathtaking.
The views from the highest are gorgeous, and it’s doable to simply see throughout everything of this small island, supplying you with a way of the huge remoteness that you’re in.
Summiting this volcano, together with the opposite two outstanding volcanoes on Easter island, is among the High 100 Journey Adventures on this planet.
Anakena Seaside
Anakena is a phenomenal, white sand seashore that like in every single place on Easter Island, can be dwelling to some iconic Moai statues.
That is supposedly the purpose the place the Polynesian settlers first landed right here and it’s a very gorgeous place to discover.
It is usually the most important seashore and one in every of solely two seashores on all the island. This phenomenon is because of the intense volcanic exercise that shaped the island, inflicting a predominantly jagged shoreline.
Our prime beneficial excursions:
- Easter Island Full-Day Tour: Ahu Tongariki, Rano Raraku and Anakena Seaside
- Ahu Akivi and Orongo plus Anakena Seaside Day Journey
- Small-Group Full-Day Easter Island Highlights North and West
Advisable Excursions to Easter Island
- G Adventures Easter Island Impartial Journey (Upgraded)– Unravel the thriller of Rapa Nui with a non-public information. Discover legendary Easter Island, recognized world wide for its historic monolithic stone statues. See the mysterious statues (or Moai) sprinkled all through the island, tour the volcanoes, seashores and petroglyphs. Get to know the distinctive tradition of some of the distant islands on Earth on this Easter Island possibility with upgraded accommodations and an added van for further consolation.
- G Adventures Easter Island Impartial Journey– Unravel the thriller of Rapa Nui. Discover legendary Easter Island, recognized world wide for its historic monolithic stone statues. See the mysterious statues, or Moai, sprinkled all through the island, tour the volcanoes, seashores and petroglyphs, and get to know the distinctive tradition of some of the distant islands on earth.
Extra on Easter Island:
- Rapa Nui Nationwide Park: Moai of Easter Island
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