Travel to Easter Island

nine hundred remarkable moai statues

Easter Island (known in Chile as Isla de Pascua and locally as Rapa Nui) is a truly remarkable place.

At only 100 square kilometres, this small island is one of the most remote places on earth, 1850 km (1150 mi) from the nearest inhabited location and 3512 km (2182 mi) from mainland South America.

Of course the island is best known for its remarkable moai statues, around 900 of which stand in solemn rows at key points around the coastline, backs to the ocean.

The story of the people who erected these monuments is one of great achievement, followed by catastrophic decline. It’s a stark reminder of how fragile is our existence on this planet.

Other highlights include the remarkable ruins of the ceremonial village of Orongo, set right on the rim of an extinct volcano and the beautiful sandy Anakena Beach, where Captain Cook landed in 1774.

The best way to get around the island is on a number of lovely hiking trails, which connect the various archaeological monuments and scenic locations. There is also some moderately interesting diving around the coast.

Around 100,000 travellers are estimated to visit Easter Island each year. There are regular flights from Santiago and a handful of decent places to stay.

The best time to visit Easter Island is generally considered to be during the Oct-Apr dry summer season, but conditions during the remainder of the year are not sufficiently poor to rule out a visit.
Easter Island has a tropical rainforest climate that borders on a humid subtropical climate, with two defined seasons …

During the Oct-Apr period conditions are usually very warm, with lots of sunshine. Average daytime temperatures usually reach around 25C/77F, with nighttime lows holding up around 18C/64F. Sunshine is up around 8 hours per day, peaking in Dec-Jan, with rainfall around 75mm/3” per month.

During the May-Sep period the weather remains warm, but with rainfall increasing to 125mm (5”) per month. Average daytime temperatures usually manage to reach around 21C/70F, with nighttime lows dropping only to around 16C/61F. Sunshine drops to only around 4 hours per day in June.

Getting there

Easter Island is reached by air from Santiago in Chile, from where it’s a flight of around six hours.
It’s usually possible to connect directly from accommodation in Santiago, the Santiago Winelands and Valparaiso, although the latter two may involve very early starts in order to make the flight connection.
On the way back the flight is later in the day and it’s often necessary to overnight in Santiago.

Where to stay

Most people who choose to visit Easter Island tend to base themselves at one lodge for four to five nights.
Although we are generally fans of smaller and more intimate accommodation options, here in Rapa Nui it’s generally the larger properties that get the highest ratings

expensive and inconvenient to visit