>The ancient inhabitants of this 45-sq-mi/115-sq-km island called it Te Pito o Te Henua (the Navel of the World). Visitors today often call it the world’s largest open-air museum. It has a fascinating—and tragic—history. Easter Island the most isolated island in the world is believed to have been settled by Polynesians who ventured across the Pacific from the Marquesas Islands. Settling on Easter Island they tilled the land and used the native palm trees both for their houses and fishing boats. But their most spectacular and permanent constructions were the moais huge images of gods carved from volcanic stone and set all around the island facing the sea. (The moais are estimated to weigh 50-90 tons/45 000-80 000 kg.)
The islanders believed the gods conferred mana or spiritual power and kept the fields fertile and the ocean fishes plentiful. All went well until the last palm tree was chopped down—then all the mana on the island was insufficient to prevent soil erosion or to provide construction material for fishing boats. In about 1580 famine swept the island and a series of civil wars followed lasting 250 years. (It was during these wars that Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen first saw the island on Easter Sunday 1722.)
Early in the 19th century Peruvian slavers carried away or killed a significant portion of the population. In 1862 some islanders were returned to raise sugar crops but they carried smallpox and other diseases. The resultant epidemics reduced the population to 111 by 1900. There are no pure Easter Islanders left in the population of about 3 000 today—the people are a mixture of Polynesian and Spanish. The official language is Spanish but Rapa-nui (the native language) is also spoken.
The only real town of note Hanga Roa can be seen in five minutes. Many tours begin at Father Englebert’s Archaeological Museum (it provides a so-so orientation to the island and most of the items in the museum are reproductions) and then continue to some of the ancient sites (such as Ahu Tahai Orongo Ahu Vaihu and Rano Kau). It’s possible to tour on your own but we recommend having a guide at least part of the first day to give you the details. The highlight of any visit to Easter Island is the sight of the nearly 700 moais and the Rano Raraku Quarry which alone has more than 300 moais including one that’s the size of a 7-story building. At the quarry you can see moais in various stages of completion from a rough outline in the ground to the nearly finished product (apparently the carvers simply laid down their tools one day never to take them up again).
Also be sure to visit some of the 2 000 caves that contain the bones of those who fled to escape the civil wars. On the western coast of the island near Orongo is a cliff and petroglyph-covered altar the center of the bird man-worshipping cult that sprang up after the stone deities “lost” their power. On one of our visits we toured by horseback a very nice alternative to cars and Land Rovers.
The island has volcanic lava cliffs beautiful flowers unpaved roads clear air and hundreds of horses and sheep. Try to attend a sau sau feast (luau-type meal) a local festival and if you’re there on a Sunday one of the fabulous Rapa-Nui masses. Anakena where one moai has been restored to its original state is a fairly good beach. Be prepared for many (nonbiting) flies and a constant wind.
Easter Island is usually reached via Santiago or Papeete Tahiti (it’s equidistant from the Chilean mainland and Tahiti). If you’re not continuing on a South American tour we suggest going on to Tahiti rather than going back to Santiago.
Hotels on Easter Island aren’t exactly superdeluxe but they’re more than adequate (and about three times as costly as those on the mainland). For a change of pace plan to spend one night in one of the residenciales which are local homes. 2 340 mi/3 765 km west of Santiago.
The ancient inhabitants of this 45-sq-mi/115-sq-km island called it Te Pito o Te Henua (the Navel of the World). Visitors today often call it the world’s largest open-air museum. It has a fascinating—and tragic—history. Easter Island the most isolated island in the world is believed to have been settled by Polynesians who ventured across the Pacific from the Marquesas Islands. Settling on Easter Island they tilled the land and used the native palm trees both for their houses and fishing boats. But their most spectacular and permanent constructions were the moais huge images of gods carved from volcanic stone and set all around the island facing the sea. (The moais are estimated to weigh 50-90 tons/45 000-80 000 kg.) 