Itinerary

Day 1, Off to the Island!

Santiago to Easter Island, Chile

 

After a flight from Santiago to Easter Island, we will be met at the airport by our friendly local guide and taken to Hanga Roa, a small township where all Easter Island's 2.500 people live. Once we arrive at the hotel and are ready with the check-in a welcome cocktail waits for us. While we enjoy the drink our guide talks us about the upcoming itinerary and other trip aspects, just before retiring to the hotel for a night´s rest in this tropical paradise.

 

 

Day 2, Getting in touch with Rapa Nui…

Easter Island, Chile

 

Early in the morning we start the tour throughout the island that during 5 days will lead us over hundreds of years of history. First we will do a morning cultural tour visiting the curious artisan market, the archeological museum and the church and Ana Kai Cavern. All these places will be a great first step to dive into the Rapa Nui’s culture. After enjoying a hearty lunch we continue our excursion with a superb hiking to Mangau Tera Vaka. Leaving the village of Hanga Roa by car we drive until we arrive at Ahu Akivi. There our hike uphill starts and we advance 500 mts. until we arrive at the top of the youngest volcano of Easter Island, Maunga Terevaka. We appreciate the most beautiful panoramic view around the coast of the Island.. Here one really feels like being on the most remote island in the world. Alter having a rest we start to hike down through an eucalyptus forest until we arrive at the old sheep farm, Vaitea, where our car picks us up and brings us back to the hotel. The evening is free to look for a nice restaurant on our own. After a day plenty of adventure we return to our hotel for a deserved rest.

 

 

Day 3, Peculiar Myths and Moai and Stunning Views…

Easter Island, Chile

 

We start the day visiting Ahu Akivi, the first multiple Moai location in our travel itinerary. Unlike other Rapa Nui ceremonial sites, Akivi is not located on the coast and the moai face the ocean, something that have been quite enigmatic for researchers. We also visit Puna Pau the Island’s ancient stone quarry, Te Pahu Cavern and Ahu Vinapu. In Vinapu we find Ahu Tahira, which is a key place supporting the theories saying that the islanders sailed across the ocean from South America as its walls are made of perfectly carved and fitted stone blocks strikingly similar to the work of the Tiahuanaco culture of Bolivia and the Inca walls in Peru. We then return to Hanga Roa to have lunch and prepare for the afternoon tour. We start driving towards Rano Kao volcano, the biggest on the island, whose enormous crater is now a fresh water lake with floating green fields of totora reeds. This site offers an exceptional view of three tiny and craggy islands where the bizarre "bird man" ritual took place among other stunning sites.  Nearby we will also find the ruined village of Orongo where almost 50 still standing stone buildings are located, amazing “bird man” petro glyphs and Ahu Tahai ceremonial center. We finally arrive back in our hotel and have the evening free to walk around town and look for a tasty local dinner.

 

 

Day 4, The Marvelous Finale…

Easter Island, Chile

 

After enjoying a hearty breakfast our day begins with a drive along a coastal road until reaching Hanga Te’e and the ancient temple of Vahiu, Ahu Akahanga and Ahu Tongariki alter sites (ahu means sacred place and refers to the rectangular stone platform on which the Moai statues were erected), recently restored after the 1960 tidal wave washed the statues meters away from their original settings. Afterwards we continue to Ahu Te Pito Te Kura or Belly Button of Light, and amazing perfectly rounded stone use for ceremonial purposes.  If we put a compass on the stone it would start spinning crazily and finally show a wrong direction! After this spectacle we continue our exploration arriving at Ahu Nau Nau and Rano Raraku, whose border is ringed with some of the Moais (the infamous and enormous, 100 tons basalt statues) leading towards the quarry or “nursery" inside of the impressive crater rim. Here the Moai were cut from Volcanic tuff and the some 150 unfinished figures left there are mute witnesses to the mystery that suddenly stopped this back breaking work. We finally head down to Anakena Beach, the legendary landing place of Hota Matua, the founder of the island. After a long journey of adventure we sadly go back to Hanga Roa for our final night in the Island. It’s time to review our personal notes and look for a great farewell dinner. After celebrating our last night we return to the hotel for a sweet overnight.

 

 

Day 5, Leaving the Island Magic…

Easter Island to Santiago, Chile

 

After a free morning to relax, take and transfer back to the airport in time for a flight back to Santiago, adios!

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